We all know that, with winter weather, comes warm drinks and cozy nights in. However, this winter, in addition to my fair share of warm blankets and movie marathons, I got the chance to get outside more. I went sledding, built snowmen, had snowball fights — all the things I hadn’t done for the longest time! This winter, I revisited some of my favorite childhood activities, and I want to let you know why you should too.
It’s no secret that as we grow older we stray away from the things that we did as children. It’s for this same reason that none of us make macaroni necklaces and wear Halloween costumes 24/7 just for the fun of it. It makes sense to outgrow things, however, things like playing in the snow just shouldn’t be lumped in with the rest of these things.
When was the last time you walked up a snowy hill, likely underdressed but sled in hand and ready to go anyway? Up until this winter, it had been a long time since I’d done it. When I reached the top of the hill, I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb, surrounded almost entirely by children and their parents, with the exception of the few friends that had come with me.
I felt awkward and like I should just go home but, before I arrived, I had been excited to jump back into such a fun experience. So, I put aside my own reservations, fell back onto my younger self, and went down the hill.
Now, I’m not going to say that sledding down a hill was any sort of life-changing experience or anything, but it did put things into a different light for me. Too often, I find myself avoiding doing certain things that make me happy, just because they’re seen as being childish. In reality, the only person judging me for doing these things is myself. There’s absolutely no reason why I shouldn’t be able to do the things that bring me joy.
In short, this winter I went sledding for the first time in a long time, and I was reminded just how much fun it is. I felt the excitement of being a younger me and I loved every second of it. So this winter, go out and do something that would make your younger self smile. Don’t worry, the hot drinks, soft blankets and hours of feel-good film are still going to be there.