Why Spontaneity is Good Medicine
We were driving home from church in the pouring rain, talking about what we were going to do on such a miserable day. E, who was riding shotgun, pointed at the sign for the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum’s extension campus as we passed it.
“Sometime, we ought to go there,” he said.
“Well, why don’t we go now?” I asked.
“We just passed the exit.”
“So? There’s another exit coming up. We can turn around. We have three hours before L needs to nap.”
“But aren’t you hungry? I thought you said you were hungry.”
“Yes,” I said. “But we can get something to eat first. Let’s see what’s at this exit.”
“I thought you needed to go to the grocery store.”
“I can do that later.”
And just like that, instead of heading home to while away the day doing the mundane usual Sunday afternoon stuff, we were off on an adventure.
We found an IHOP and had brunch, then headed back to the air and space museum, where L oohed and aahed over the “helicop-a-ters.”
I was awed by the Enola Gay and Space Shuttle Columbia, suspended before me in all their massive reality. L, not so much. She had eyes only for the helicopters.
“Drive it?” she asked, over and over.
The rain blitzed down, but we were warm and dry and entertained – mostly by our toddler. And when we got home, we all seemed a little more upbeat, in spite of the weather. Maybe it was simply because we’d gotten out of the house for a reason other than grocery shopping or church. But maybe it was also the effect of an unplanned detour.
Because spontaneity is good medicine. It lifts us up, takes us to unexpected places. It breaks the cycle of the everyday rinse and repeat. It’s fun.
The following night, while E was at class, I took L to Chick fil-A for some spontaneous ice cream – a split-second decision. Somehow, that ice cream tasted better than usual. Maybe because it wasn’t planned, I wondered? Is there something about planning every moment – while practical and efficient – that negates something essential? Something we need?
Most of the time, I’m a planner. Mothers of littles pretty much have to be. We plan around diaper changes and meals and naps and bedtime. And that’s okay. Structure and routine are mostly good for our kiddos. It gives them security. But new experiences are good, too. For everyone.
I confess, there are many times when I think, “We ought to [insert fun experience here] right now!” But then the practical side of me kicks in, thinks about how many free hours are left in the evening or weekend, and says, “No, we’d better do [insert practical task here] instead, or it won’t get done.”
Thinking about how often I do this, I kind of want to smack myself.
Because you only have one life. And there will always be dishes and laundry and grocery shopping and vacuuming to do.
Thinking about how happy we all were after our rainy Sunday adventure, I’m resolving to follow my instincts and tune out my practical side a little more often.
What about you?
Blessings,
