If Everyday Life Was a Playground | Life at Spring Meadows | Gardening Living Creating

Playground. According to the Oxford Dictionary,“ a playground is a place where a particular group of people chooses to enjoy themselves.” (Oxford Dictionary)

According to our youngest, that simply describes life in a general term. It seems I often need to be reminded of this simple truth and yesterday was one of those “life lessons from a 5-year-old” kind of days.

We had just arrived home. Taylor was upstairs changing from her school clothes, getting ready to play. I was sitting at the kitchen table about to enjoy a lunch of grilled chicken and caesar salad when there was a quick “tap tap” knock at the door.

“Who is that?” Taylor asked from upstairs.

“I am not sure, but I will check.” I left my lunch supervised by a hungry golden retriever and walked down the hallway to peer out the side window of the front door. I saw the mailman hurrying back to his truck. Opening the door, I found a package he had left on the porch.

“Oh, it’s just that mailman,” Taylor said as she walked down the stairs. Dressed in bright pink pants with ruffles, a green polka dotted shirt, her favorite purple boots, mardi gras beads, and a red hat, I could only imagine what this perky little girl had in mind for our afternoon of play.

Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, she said, “He plays that game all the time.”

“Really? What game?” I asked as I looked into the innocent face of our little red-head who apparently believes that a knock on the door and a package left by the mailman is so much more than just part of a day’s work.

Trying to pretend exasperation, Taylor explained. “He knocks on our door, leaves something, then runs to his truck really quick. He thinks we don’t see him.” The look of delight on her face gave away that she was enjoying the antics of the mailman and his game. “But I always see him!”

The mailman sped away in his truck to his next destination. We watched him knock on another door to leave a package and hurriedly return to his truck.

“Yep! See! That is what he does.” I turned to look at Taylor who was grinning as she watched the mailman play a game of “Catch me if you can” as he knocked on doors throughout the neighborhood, then hurry back to his truck before being caught.

I giggled to myself, wondering if the people in this community realize what a fun mailman they have. Of course, I am basing my thoughts on the perception of our little redhead and not every house is occupied with a 5-year-old who thinks that life is one big playground where everyone is happy and having fun with one another. If only that were true!

“I don’t know about your life, Mr. Mailman, or the others in this neighborhood,” I thought, “but on the other side of this door is someone who thinks you are a part of her great big wonderful world where people play, and life is happy!”

For the next few minutes, she told me her plans to catch the mailman at his game. She had me. I was captivated by her “playground of life.” I think I will stay here for a while in this place of pure delight.

“I am going to scare him one day. I am.”

Mailman beware! I think she is on to your game! And one day you may be surprised and frightened by a little redhead, dressed in a wide-brimmed floppy hat, hiding in the bushes to scare you when you walk up and knock on the door!

Life is about having fun!

She keeps me laughing, yes she does! And she keeps showing me that life actually is a playground!

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” Mother Teresa