Take a risk every day, even if it’s small.  Get home a different way, take a new path; you’ll see new things. Sometimes when my friends and I go out, we make a dare for the night. I’m not revealing what we’ve dared one another, so don’t ask.  I’ve begun to dare myself lately.  Be bolder.  Do what scares you.  Do what’s hard. 

I went to the ocean last weekend, and I was cranky.  What’s wrong with me?  I should be happy.  I was restless.  I don’t play enough.  I need to change that.  When is the last time you really played?  So I got up, walked to the ocean, got wet, then decided to build a drippy droopy sand castle.  I dug a moat and built a bridge.  I’d forgotten that when you dig in the sand, deep enough, you hit a layer of shells before you hit water.  I loved relearning that.  I was building a sand castle by myself, for no reason at all.  For play.   Who does that?  I did. 

A fifth grade girl named Margaret joined me to help.  "Wow, fifth grade.  When I was in fifth, we were learning cursive." 
"God, I learned that in like second grade."  She was chewing grape gum and offered me a piece.  "Well, don’t feel bad, times are different now."  We talked about her school and how she just got her ears pierced.  "Not at Claire’s.  Their biggest selling accessory is infection."  I began to blink.  Was I hearing things?  "That’s what my mom says."  She then told me her mother’s cancer was in remission and how her friend Debbie is getting a second hole in her ear.  "But she’s allowed because she is handicapped." 

Our conversation reminded me of how much I have to be thankful for.  I was also glad, for the first time in my life, that I had short
weakass nails… all the better to play in the sand with.  A moat is a good time.  Go play.