The Magic of Red Rubber Boots...
and connecting to your inner child.
Happy New Year!
I am slowing coming out of a time of deep reflection and getting clear about what I want out of 2023. At the beginning of the year, I drew this card from the Playful Heart tarot deck. I was immediately drawn to the energetic quality of this card. It made me want to jump on a wild animal and go for an adventure. I want to have the courage to say “let’s go” without a step by step plan, a direction or course of activity. I want to trust that I am being guided and led to where I want to go. Even if that means I pivot and change direction along the way.
I spent some time gazing at this card, symbolizing the Knight of Wands. This card based of the Rider-Waite cards, is all about action and adventure. I love the huge smile on the little girl’s face. She is wearing fancy sun glasses to shade her eyes from the sun and wind. She is further protected by the grey, riding suit, red gloves on her hands and the red rubber boots on her feet.
My youngest son, Graham, had a pair of red rubber boots when he was about three. He wore them constantly, partly because he could quickly slip them on and run outside to join his older brother. His boots allowed him to be prepared for whatever adventure awaited him. The puddles, mud and snow were no match for him. The udder glee and joy- the laughter that came from deep within his belly. His eyes would sparkle and light up.
What fun! I loved this part of being a mom. To simply stand back and watch him jump into a puddle. The shock and surprise at the splash and wet that covered him. The pause…then running to find another puddle to dive into. Unbridled fun. No plan, no expectation. It’s a wonderful reminder for me…for us all. To bring more childlike wonder, play and joy into all of our days.
One way to find more play and joy is to connect to my inner child. Here she is. BHeather is her name. She is about 10, with short, curly hair enjoying her Holly Hobby inspired birthday party. She reminds me to have FUN. She insists that I put some aspect of play into the beginning of my day. I grew up with the “work first, play last” mindset. I didn’t make the time for the activities that lit me up until I was done with my To Do List. I am actively trying to find new habits and rhythms to my days. The dishes can wait a bit, while I color a page in my visual journal. I can make the calls and pay the bills after a yoga practice on my mat.
When I bring an element of play and wonder into my mornings, I am more prepared and resourced for the day ahead. It doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment. It can be simple, short and even silly. Some mornings, I only have time to tape a bit of washi into my journal or pull a tarot card.
Isn’t that the entire pointe of life? To have lived experiences- to connect to what lights us up. To find out what that is and do it more often.
Do you remember the movie Ice Castles? It was a movie from 1978 and featured a young woman who was training for the Olympics. I have always been drawn to ice skating. I saw Olympic skater, Dorothy Hamill perform in the Ice Capades in Chicago as a young girl. I wanted the hair, her flowing outfits and the ability to glide and spin on the ice. I even took lessons at a local indoor rink as a girl. If only my dad would have allowed me to flood the backyard for a rink of my very own.
When I lived in New Hampshire, I was in heaven. White Park in Concord, created a huge frozen rink for the winter. I brought my young boys out, dressed in puffy snow suits and laced up my white figure skates. I would connect to BHeather and skate around the rink, feeling the thrill of being able to fly. When I moved to the little red house in Warner, there was a beaver pond across the street. I commandeered that as my very own rink. I anxiously waited for the cold, freezing temperatures to come so I could safely set out on the pond. I brought my shovel and proceeded to clear the snow as I skated behind. Carving out my own path. Since moving to the south, my time on the ice had been forgotten. Until….
Over the Christmas holiday, I managed to lace up my skates again at the White Water Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Of course, the weather warmed up to 60 degrees after the frigid temps the week before. The skates were clunky and the ice was melting. I was disappointed that I couldn’t find that sweet, smooth rhythm due to the horrible conditions on the ice.
But…I felt alive and free. It rekindled that spark within me. It reminded me of the importance of finding the activities, people and places in my life that light me up. That make me say…“more please”. I am looking for more ice rinks that I can visit in the future.
As I begin another year, I want to connect more to my inner child. I am inviting BHeather along with me as I put play and joy as a top priority in my life and business.
Please come join me!