Surely there are few free entertainments that deliver better value than a Playgroup Nativity! We had the enormous pleasure of watching one of our grandsons in his first Nativity. He was a shepherd and definitely looked the part!

What unfolded was a picture of Society in miniature. The children at Playgroup are very young. Chaos was to be expected.  We were not anticipating any Oscar-winning performances.

Instead, we noticed three types of players.

First, we had the enthusiasts – who gave it their all – especially the shouty bits.

Secondly, we had the overwhelmed – for whom all the fuss, attention, and noise was simply too much. Tears flowed. Helpers, Parents, Grandparents, cuddly toys, or other performers were sought as sources of comfort.

Thirdly, including our shepherd, we were watched by the observers. The observers looked on while others performed. They watched the audience too – often sharing a smile as if to say, “Glad to see you here… not sure what’s going on!”

I hope, as we did, you can ‘see’ yourself in all three types. Sometimes we observe and choose not to participate actively. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed and need support.  And at other times we throw ourselves into the activity with gusto.

All are appropriate from time to time. Two are enjoyable. And yet, one stands out as being much more fun: taking part with all your heart.

You may agree that adults, too, are allowed to play and have fun. We know play is good for our mental health, our sense of social connection, and sometimes even our physical wellbeing. Through play, we can relieve stress, enhance our mental agility, and boost our confidence.

An invitation. Here in this blog, we often encourage self-compassion and to go gently with ourselves. This is good. However, today, let’s encourage one another to give something a go and be fully engaged with whatever we choose.  Let’s select an activity where we can play with all our heart rather than watch cooly from the sidelines, or surrender to a sense of overwhelm. To live like this would be exhausting, and so we are suggesting only one activity that is manageable and fun. You can lie down afterwards.

Do let us know in the comments what your favourite activity would be!

Lex

A Moodscope member