Releasing my inner child with a Teddy Bear Hunt

As I’m trying to navigate my new normal during this worldwide pandemic, the inner child in me is being released. On day 3 of my “pretend work” schedule, I played hooky from work. Right now, I’m my own boss so I’m calling the shots. I set an alarm for 7 this morning and read my devotionals before starting my “work” day. Instead of going straight to the computer to write or edit, I decided to take my dog for a long walk. The weather was a bit chilly and cloudy, but not cold and dreary; the perfect weather for walking.

On our walk, I noticed a teddy bear or two outside one of the playgrounds along the river and another teddy bear outside the rec center. I’ve been noticing teddy bears in neighbors’ windows as we’ve been going for daily (sometimes twice a day) walks. These teddy bears have inspired me to find some of my own and put them in the front windows at home as well as one tied to a post in the front yard.

Now that I’ve done this, I’m realizing something profound. Why does it often take a major crisis for people to recognize the importance of releasing their inner child? Maybe, many people have already been acting out their inner child for years. It’s easy to do when you have children or when you’re in a profession that involves being with children; neither of which I’m part of. However, last summer I babysat two children which brought out my inner child as we had fun putting puzzles together, coloring, playing on the floor, messing with Play Do, etc. So, why do I need to wait for a season of temporary unemployment in order to live out my inner child?

When the adult things in life such as a job, involvement in community and church activities, and social events are taken away, where else can you turn? As a child, I had more time to play with toys, play games both indoor and outdoors, and color. Maybe, this season for me isn’t just about pretending to go to work Monday through Friday for a set number of hours. During those set hours, I could unleash my inner child by coloring, putting together puzzles, or practicing my ping pong skills outside. I could perform these activities after my pretend working hours are over or at least when I decide to stop working for the day.

This pandemic has shown me that life is short and precious. We should not waste this season of temporary unemployment or working from home by being couch potatoes and binge-watching shows or spending hours scrolling social media and the news. While there’s nothing wrong with watching some TV, spending some time on social media, or catching up on the news, these things can become time wasters and you’re less motivated to do other things like child’s play (not the horror flick), work on home projects, or clean. At least, that’s the case with me.

After my hour-and-a-half walk, Diamond (my dog) and I came home. Before going to my computer to “work,” I grabbed some of my bears and put them in the windows. This morning, my “work” was more play. I have been in the mood for playing hidden object games lately (Highlights for adults) so I spent at least an hour or so doing that. Now, I feel more inspired to “work” which is writing this blog post. I’m “working” past my designated schedule, but when working from home, isn’t that common? My mother’s working from home schedule is not like her schedule at her job. She takes breaks throughout the day and has been working some in the evening. I followed suit the other day. My editing project was sporadic throughout the day. In spite of all this, I still haven’t figured out my new normal.