TRY MEETING SOMEONE WITHOUT A NAME

We were on a hike when these two met anew. My son and an extraordinary playmate.

Sometimes, if children are truly captivated in play, mom’s will recognize the magic and not give

those 5-minute warnings about needing to leave. They just know better. Honoring this seamless

connection, we let them play for hours.

Once his playmate finally left, my son came over for a snack, and I had to comment.

“Wow, you two really got along!”

He nodded while drinking his water.

“What was her name?”

“I don’t know.”

“Really? You played with her that WHOLE time and you don’t know her name?”

I chuckled.

Thankfully, he just gave me the look of an unassuming child – a look which gently reminded me

that knowing how to play is more important than knowing someone’s name. I humbly realized

that adults generally want a lot of answers. Just imagine if my son came over and told me:

“Hey mom, guess what?”

“That girl’s name is ___________. She lives in the neighborhood by ___________, and the flag

in their yard is ____________. Her parents are ____________ . They work at ____________and

their net worth is ________________. Every Sunday, they go to the ____________ church

because they believe in ___________. Oh. And they voted ____________ for President.”

What happens when we collect answers like that?

We enter the land of separation – a land without play.

Well then. Maybe try meeting someone without a name?

So much more fun.

Author: Michelle Zinanti