Are we having fun yet?

Can one ever have enough fun? Now there's a question.

Just a few minutes ago, Jack took his house toy over to Rob. This was an obvious invitation to play. Rob's response: “Didn't you have enough fun last night?” Which caused me to wonder: Can you ever have enough fun?

Once we get to be adults, it is, of course, not mature to have fun for the sake of fun. But oh how we envy our children and grandchildren who do just that. Who play for hours at nothing but having fun. Fun stacking grandma's pots and pans. Fun skipping rope. Fun playing dress up. Fun making snow angels. Fun rolling in mud. Fun, fun, fun.

As we get older, our fun must be more mature. Playing a gentlemanly game of bridge. (“Gentlepersonly” didn't seem to go well there.) Playing a serious – with legal dictionaries – game of Scrabble. “Of course, I'm only doing this to have some fun!...and to Win!” Having guests in for a dinner party – work, work, work. There are many ways that adults pass time having fun. And we do, we really do. But not too much!

We have to work. We have to be responsible. We have to lead by example. Isn't it odd that we can readily apply that third sentiment to the first two but would seldom think of applying it to having fun?

I'm not advocating recklessness or sheer abandonment. I don't want to see anyone get hurt or pointlessly embarrassed. However, I am aware that there is a growing cadre of those who advocate the importance and value of play. It renews and rejuvenates and refreshes in ways that are very needful but not readily provided otherwise.

Of course, many reading this already know that I am an ardent advocate for vacations. Always have been. They need not be excessive or expensive but an intentional break away from the routine, the required, the responsibilities can, I do believe, make the routine and the required and the responsibilities much more meaningful and enjoyable. I am not sure that you can ever have too much play, too much fun. What do you think?