Thankful thought of the day - Today I am thankful for playtime.

One of my favorite quotes is by Oliver Wendell Holmes. He said "We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing."

I am thankful that God gave us a playful spirit and a fun loving nature. Many people mistake play and fun for something only the young can do. They think we must "grow up" "be mature" "act your age". Do I agree with this train of thought? Absolutely not. I think to play and have fun is to enjoy life. Continue to do the things you enjoy; even if they were a part of your childhood. I still like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse. I can't go through the holidays without A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer. Santa still fills my stocking every Christmas and the Easter Bunny still brings me a basket of goodies. (Of course, my hubby stays in close contact with both of them to make sure they know where to find me.)

I still love to play jacks and jump rope in the summer on the back patio. I still like having tea parties, rocking doll babies and dressing Barbie's. I can still shoot marbles and race matchbox cars with the best of them.

When my grandchildren visit, I don't stress over keeping the house straight or doing the numerous chores we each do every day. I like to veg out on the couch with them and watch Dora the Explorer. Or I like to try out their new toys and learn how to play with a Bey Blade (watch out if you get your hands on these, they are addictive.) Garret was laughing at me Friday night. I had never seen a Bey Blade. It's a new cartoon and has these neat gizmos like tops that you put in a launcher and pull the rip cord and they will spin. They "battle" each other. I was fascinated because they are simply a very high tech, high speed top. So I had to confiscate one and play in the kitchen floor half the evening. They are AWESOME.

As you can see, playtime is still fun time around our household. Mr. Holmes was so right. He knew the secret to the fountain of youth. Continue to play and enjoy life and you will remain young. What Mr. Holmes forgets to remind us is that being young is a state of mind, a spirit, an energy that comes from remaining youthful. What he should have added is this: "By playing, you will remain young at heart; but be warned. When you get up the next morning, your body will remind you exactly how old you are.