Another Lesson I Learned from My Dog
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010Breakfast is done. The table has been cleared and the dishes washed. Duncan, our almost 14-year-old collie now knows that hope of more scraps of leftover sausage or French toast is useless.
He and I both know what is coming next. I wipe down the counter, ready to head to my studio when I hear the thud, pause, thud of his rope toy as he drops it on the floor, picks it up, and drops it again. This is his way of saying, “Time to play!”
Yes, even at almost 14, Duncan still insists on his playtimes, usually after meals, and occasionally at other times during the day when he might be feeling either frisky or bored, although the first doesn’t happen that often anymore.
Bob and I obediently (Duncan has us well-trained) wander into the kitchen to play Pickle-in-the-Middle. Duncan, of course, being the pickle. We take turns tossing the rope toy either to Duncan or each other. When Duncan has it, we are then expected to fight him for it, pulling and tugging. When we first started playing this game, we went all out, throwing high, tugging hard. Now we are careful to not throw too high or tug too hard so that he loses his balance on his not-so-strong back legs.
Still, he keeps his eye on the prize, his tail up and wagging, his body tensed and ready to leap as we play his favorite game…after breakfast, after dinner. Like clockwork.
Here’s the lesson our wise four-footed teacher offers us.
Play is a necessary and important part of life. Not play that may occur a couple of times a year when we allow ourselves a vacation, but daily, regular play. Play feeds our hearts, minds, and souls, and, since Duncan is old for a collie, I have to believe play nurtures our bodies as well.
We all know that old adage, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” The dull is not just as in boring to everyone else. Dull means Jack himself can suffer from depression, boredom, creative blocks, frustration, body aches and pains, a sense of loneliness and isolation.
Creativity thrives on play. Our spirits are made for joy and laughter, for surprise and discovery, which most often happens when we play.
So get up from your computer, your easel, your piano…regularly. Get up and go play.
And if you’ll excuse me, I hear a rope toy thudding to the floor. Duncan—and play—calls.