Adults tend to be very serious because of the demands of life and practicality. I am fortunate that I have a young child because just when I find myself taking life too seriously, my son brings me back down to size. I would like to share a story with you from my life that I feel acts as a reminder to adults about the importance of play.
Not too long ago, I was at my father's house playing video games with my son, who was four at the time. My son is very bright, and no matter what the game, it seemed he was always besting his father. I was a little embarrassed, given that I am much older and supposedly wiser than my son. At any rate, on this particular day something strange happened that took me by surprise. We were in the middle of a very intense game, when all of a sudden my son stood up, dropped the controller, and started to run around the room in a frantic manner. I was a little concerned, so I asked him a question: "Preston, do you need to go to the potty?" He then replied, "Daddy, I am just having fun."
Children understand the dynamics of joy and play in a way adults never understand. They can play and have fun because they feel an intrinsic need to play and act out joy. They can live life for the sake of living life.