A Call to Play

When I was a little girl, I had a Sweetie Tree. It was my first crush. It wasn't in my yard; I had to ask my parents to drive me down by the river whenever I wanted to see the Sweetie Tree and give it a hug. I've literally been a tree hugger since I was 3 or 4 years old. In elementary school I remember wedging my skinny butt up in the branches of Grandma's apple tree. I would do my homework up there. When I was a teenager, I set up a whole world for my siblings in the woods and fields behind our home. I wove the branches of saplings together to make a fort, I collected bones from the soil for decoration and protection, I told stories of a war between the Tree Nymphs and a mythical evil faction called the Squabblers, and I kept a wary eye on the black birds overhead who would spy on us. We would put on a special chapstick so that we could speak with the Fae Folk.

It was just a game then, but the sentiments were still there beneath the teenage angst and the self-doubt.

The more that I look back on my childhood, the more I see the connections between my inner child and my spiritual path today. There were a lot of detours and dark turns in between where I denied the truth of who I am -- and if I'm being honest, some days I still try to be the hardass, cynical Other me who only gets along with guys and prefers to scoff at everything happy and gooey in this world -- but I'm softening up and allowing my inner child to be seen and heard more everyday. It's scary. Sometimes those two sides of myself go to war with each other. 

But it sure does feel good to be hugging the trees and talking to the Fae again.

A surprising amount of direction and purpose can be discovered when we look back at the play of childhood. 

As children, we have a stronger connection to self and Spirit than most adults. The process of growing up and learning to survive in this world is tough on the soul. We end up taking on a vast number of protective personas and defense mechanisms in order to get along with the systems that rule our lives. While these processes of maturation make us successful adults, they can obscure our true identity and the unique purpose we have for this lifetime.

What kinds of games did you enjoy playing as a kid? Where did you feel most happy? With what kinds of people? What was the first thing you ever wanted to be when you grew up? How did you like to express yourself? The answers to these questions might shed some light on your inner self and your soul purpose!

While the plants rest for the winter, we are asked to turn our attention inward and reflect. Sometimes introspective work can feel heavy, though, so this year I am extending a formal invitation to each and every one of you: PLAY! Let your inner child come out to play. Do the simple things that feel good. Do the silly things that excite you. Go on an adventure like you may have done as a child and see what you learn about yourself. Or better yet, see what you can remember about the you who was born into this world with a clear mission, the you who was pure and bright with no defensive programs cluttering up your aura. They are in there somewhere just waiting to be seen, perhaps for the first time in years.