Finding Fun
Life has a way of sucking the life out of us if we allow it. Bills and broken relationships, illness and responsibilities, extended family issues, and technology all have a way of creating distraction, anxiety, doubt, and sometimes despair. I understand that some issues can be very burdensome and weigh heavy in our lives, but if we do not find a way to laugh at times, the tears will swallow us up, and we will miss the healing that can come through connecting with our children and spouse through those times of fun. We have to be intentional about it and not just wait for it to happen on its own!
If we are to achieve this, we can’t demand fun, but we need to procure it and see the part we play in making it happen. I use the acronym L.A.U.G.H.S. to take a look at how to work towards this in your own family:
1. Learn to Laugh at Life! Not destructively, but whimsically and cleverly. Learn to laugh at yourself and life. We need to teach our kids how to not take life so seriously all the time and to learn how to laugh productively.
2. Assure Attentive Activities! There are so many things competing for our attention today that even if we are trying to have fun, it is often cut short by distractions. If we are to build upon those magic moments of connection, interaction and fun, we need to be able to build in family rules around things like phone calls, texts, TV, etc. and be willing to abide by them ourselves.
3. Utilize the Unexpected, Unplanned Moments! Some of the most memorable and funny moments in my family have come out of actions and reactions with each other that were spontaneous, unexpected, and unplanned.
4. Get Out of the Grueling Daily Grind! It’s too easy to have an excuse ‘why’ we don’t have time for games or playing with our kids. Yes, things do need to get done, but are we willing to put them aside now and then to have those moments of joy and laughter which build lifelong memories?
5. Have Harmonious Hilarity! This is a funny way of saying: “Have fun, but make sure you know what your wife and children think is fun and funny.”
6. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify! Simply put: If you’ve got too much going on in your life, you won’t have time or energy for the magic moments.
ACTION STEP: This week, implement one of these suggestions (or more than one).