Imagination Land

One of the greatest things about being a parent is getting the chance to re-live childhood with your kids, especially getting caught up in their worlds of princesses, monsters, and superheroes. As adults, we often get caught up in the grind of day-to-day routines that we need to survive and we forget to stop and smell the roses. We're so busy trying to earn a living, while raising a family, keeping the house in some semblance of cleanliness and order, making sure the fridge is stocked while little tummies are full of more-or-less nutritious foods, struggling to squeeze in time to do other mundane tasks like pay the bills, budget, keep on top of homework. I think as adults and parents, we have all forgotten how to indulge in the skill of imagination. Except of course, when the predicted jackpot for the lottery is $50 million.
Devlin's class is currently learning about the solar system. He brought home his craft the other day. It was a small styrofoam ball stuck onto a popsicle stick. The ball had been painted a myriad of colours in a free-form fashion - mostly green, blue, purple, red and a small spot of white.
"This is my planet," he stated. "Can I tell you about my planet?"
Here is the story of his planet:
D: This is my planet. It's very far from earth.
M: Who lives on it?
D: Just me.
M: Aren't you lonely?
D: Well, it's a planet for me and my family. So there's you and daddy, Ceilidh and Aisling. Oh, yeah, and harmony and hahbudgee (grandma and grandpa). Ummm....Uncle Billy, Auntie Grace, Mia, Auntie Shunaha and Uncle Nowell.
M: Where do we live on this planet?
D: On the purple part. Maybe a little bit on the red part. But not the white part. You can't live on the white part.
M: Why not? Are there monsters?
D: No. There's a great war. But it's okay, I have an army to protect us.
M: How big is the army?
D: Lots and lots of soldiers. And I paid them fifty million dollars money to protect us.
M (thinking that's a group of mercenaries who's demanding that kind of pay): Wow. That's a lot of money. Where did you get fifty million dollars? (And can I have some?)
D: From my friend.
M: Who's your friend? (And why don't I know this person?)
D: Well, he's gone now. He was very old, and he died, but he left me the money. I have lots of money.
M: Okay...
D: Anyways, on my planet, did I tell you we're very far from the sun?
M: But wouldn't it be very cold then? No sun to keep us warm.
D: Nope, because I used my powers to bring my planet close to the sun when we get cold. My friends also have their own planets, but mine is the best.

See - isn't it great to get lost in your child's mind for a few minutes each day? It should be the antidote that prescribed for every depressed or overworked or stressed out individual.