July 2, 2013
Child's Play is Good, Clean Fun

What keeps a child contentedly playing in a sand box for endless hours at a time? is it the soothing sensation of the sand slipping through their hands?  that I can relate to and remember the hypnotic sensation it brings. 

 When I was a youngster - many years ago, my best friend and I, Kathy, had some great adventures together.  The times that we spent at her grandparents' farm were perhaps the most memorable.

Because we made mudpies together.

For those who have never experienced the joy of making mudpies, let met tell you it's a thing of unsurpassed joy. 

Being at my friend's farm was a veritable feast of fancy for two creative souls souls, let me assure you. Nobody told us to keep our hands clean and stay out of the dirt.  And together we made souffles and pastries to rival any French chef's concoctions. 

Creations made of sandy soil and pebbles, we whipped up cakes that rose miles high.   Best of all, we got our hands really dirty in doing so. 

There's nothing quite like playing in the dirt.  A little soil., a pinch of earth and just the right amount of water mixed well and voile, it's a masterpiece of culinary delight.

This make believe is the precursor to adulthood and so important and vital to development from simple child to adulthood.  Granted our concoctions weren't quite edible, but we liked to think they were.

But that wasn't important.  It was the mixing and stirring and adding just the right amounts that mattered.  Pretend is such a lovely thing.

Now as I watch my neighbor's children digging and frolicking in the sandbox for endless hours I truly understand the enchantment.  The time they spend sifting through the sands will forever be a pleasant memory for them.  

Perhaps we should, everyone of us, get our hands dirty again.  Maybe then we'd capture the enchantment once felt as children.  And if you haven't ever made a mudpie, well it's not too late to give it a try.  Go on, give it a try and see how rewarding it can be.