Only an 8 year-old…

A recent conversation with my 8 year-old daughter:

8pm:

Me: Let’s get ready for bed!

My 8 year-old: Okay.

8:01pm:

My door opens…

8 y.o.: Put on something fancy!

Me: Fancy? What are we dressing up for?

8 y.o.: Why do you need a reason to dress up?! Just do it! (And then she exits the room.)

8:03pm:

We are both “dressed up”, me in an off-should ruffle top, her in head-to-toe sparkles….

8 y.o.: Okay! Now we’re ready to play some Unicorn Uno!

I grudgingly put on my fancy top with my pajamas but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me happy. I had a blast sitting on my bed with my daughter, playing Unicorn Uno until bedtime, dressed for an occasion. I thanked her and told her she was great at coming up with fun things to do. Her response? “Kids are really good at having fun.”

Boom.

There it is. I coach and write about joy as a foundation to living a full life and the truth reveals itself: we all have it in us to live this way because we are born this way. Sometimes in life the secret is about what to let go of and sometimes its about what to hang on to. We just need to hang onto to our true nature, the child at heart.

As adults we always need a reason, some excuse to give us permission to splurge, celebrate, have fun, dress up. But breathing is a good enough reason as any to do what our hearts long for.