I’ll often go to a park to juggle a soccer ball. Why? Because earlier this year I remembered how two years ago I asked my mom, “What was my favorite toy growing up?” and she said, “Balls. You loved to play with balls.”
Thanks, Mom.
But she was right. I played football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, street hockey, and many other sports that involved interacting with the dynamics of balls.
So this year, I bought me a soccer ball.
While juggling the ball in the park, amidst my frustration, giggles, and shouts of triumph, I notice many people passing on the path. What always makes me smile is how almost every single kid that passes becomes fixated on the ball. Their eyes light up, they sometimes sheepishly approach, and then when I kick the ball gently towards them, they shake their tailfeather with a large grin on their face, and run full speed at the ball, kicking it about halfway back to me. I in turn smile, and we share a few genuine moments of human connection. The parents then often thank me for including their kids, and then I go back to juggling.
What I wonder is how many of those parents are secretly wishing for me to pass the ball to them but have learned to not show their “childish” desires? As one gets older, do we stop enjoying interacting with balls, rocks, stones, and other things that go up and must come down? I sure haven’t stopped enjoying those things–it’s just now that I’m starting to allow myself to enjoy them again 😀
When was the last time you played with a ball?