I was playing the game “Headbands” with my dog the other day.
You may have played the game with your kids. You choose a card with an image and statement “I am a …..”. Sticking it upon your ‘headband’ facing others, your playmates offer clues and you have to guess what you are in the moment.
Playing board games and interactive games like charades are good fun.
They engage humans without screens, encourage positive social interaction, activate the creative brain, and produce feel good chemicals via lots of laughter.
Given my kid has flown the coop, we hoodwinked our dog to play a rousing game of Headbands with us. We even let Milo choose the first card, but he seemed to have a hard time guessing what his card said.
Australian Shepards are supposed to be smart, so I wasn’t sure why he was having such a hard time.
He played the game well as he sought clues in the yes/no answers to his questions. “Am I an animal? Do I have four legs? Do I chase balls? Do I live with a great family?” Yet he couldn’t seem to grasp the correct answer … “I am a dog.” I thought maybe he was losing his mojo.
Then he looked at me with that all knowing gaze and I finally got it. He was beyond smart.
So when he asked me the next question “Am I the infinite, interconnected, harmonious flow of energy that many call LOVE also know as the fabric of the Universe?” I simply said yes.
We stopped playing the game at that point.
Instead we walked outside marveling at the how the natural world was waking up in unison as if it knew exactly what to do and how to do it. I had plenty of time to notice the sights, smells, colors, and surprises as he frequently stopped to “smell the roses” and water everything else. It was really more of a meander than a walk. I recognized that I experienced more of nature’s gifts with him than walking on my own. So wise, this D-O-G.
Sometimes he surprises me. Like the day he taught me that sweet treats are to be shared.
I thought my frozen yogurt was safe in the middle of the coffee table, yet I forgot how quickly those paws could jump up. My miss was his reward as he enjoyed the top half of my dessert. When I suggested his behavior was unappreciated, Milo gave me the side eye and wandered off to enjoy his sugar crash in his comfy cabin.
I also appreciate how Milo demonstrates how to Be in the Now.
Eckhart Tolle has nothing on him when I walk in the door to be greeted as if I appeared out of thin air. What a celebration of the miracle of “walking in” to a new scene … a new moment. The energy is contagious and I totally understand why dogs wag their tails and people spontaneously speak that sing song voice offered to babies and pets. When I return to the car to get my last bag and return 15 seconds later to the same response, I don’t know whether to value the ability to be truly and delightfully present or check for dementia.
Just when I think I know something, Milo reminds me that not everything is as it seems.
Like when he quizzes me on the nature of reality with questions like “what is real?” and “who am I really?” I just never know what “game” he will come up with next. After our rousing game of Headbands, Milo suggested I meditate upon the nature of anagrams. Hmmmm. D-O-G. That explains a lot.
One thing I know for sure, I have a lot to learn from that wise being I thought was a dog.
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
Turn off those screens. Game playing as a family enhances wellbeing and the potential for creative navigation through life. Game playing indoors or racing around for a hilarious game of hide and seek develops “soft skills” which improve social navigation, creative problem solving, and working together as a team. Collaboration, delayed gratification, emotional intelligence, and ingenuity are only some of these soft skills which support success in formal education and workplaces. As the brain has the potential to change and grow through the lifespan, game playing which includes enthusiasm, learning new skills, creativity, and laughter are good medicine.
Learn the one essential skill that allows you to face any challenge with confidence, sturdiness, and inner calm.
More than a technique. It’s a game changer.
A few months ago, when the world was cold and the snow came often, I left for work a little earlier than usual.
The roads had already been plowed, but I knew better than to assume they were clear. That kind of winter morning holds a particular deception. The pavement looks clean, almost dry, while a thin layer of ice waits invisibly beneath.
I was mostly alone on the road.
Some days don’t announce themselves as anything more than what they are.
My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary last weekend with a trip to New York City to see Every Brilliant Thing with Daniel Radcliffe.
You arrive in Venice the way you always arrive in places that have lived longer than memory can hold.
Not just by plane or train, but by stepping into a rhythm already in motion.
There are moments in life when something ancient and deeply meaningful finds its way into your life. Two years ago, I was seated in the doorway of the Sun Temple in Ollantaytambo in Peru. I had climbed the ancient steps, communed with the spirit of the mountain, and gazed out over the landscape.
There comes a moment, sometimes quietly, when you realize you don’t want to keep postponing your life. Not in a dramatic way, nor as a declaration, but as a simple, honest recognition that what you are living now matters. You begin to sense an invitation, not to fix yourself or become someone else, but to turn toward your life as it is and meet it more fully.
I enjoy airports. Most likely because they signal that a travel adventure is about to begin. My family followed the “arrive two hours early” rule for every flight, and I’m still a fan. It allows me to relax and enjoy the airport phase of the travel experience. I’m not worried about security lines, overpriced water, or what boarding group I’m in. Although, truth be told, those days of being upgraded to first class have left a subtle longing for wider seats and fewer people.
