This time of year makes me happy. It’s almost spring, and the bulbs are poking out of the ground. Little snowdrops stick their pale faces out and droop away from the sun. The ground is damp and the snow is melting. The birds are singing, and the woodpeckers are attempting to drill holes in the telephone poles.
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Children and their families are riding around on bikes. They’re visiting local attractions on field trips, signing up for courses, and kicking the ball around on the field. They’re climbing trees and playing in the playground. Sometimes, they’re indoors watching movies and reading books. For a couple of weeks every spring, there is a family-oriented atmosphere in our neighborhood. It’s called Spring Break.
What would happen if we created a society where Spring Break happened more often? What if families could take more time together and enjoy their communities, visiting places that they don’t usually get to visit during the day time hours? What if children had time to play outside? What if they could create spontaneous plays, have lemonade stands, play with chalk on the sidewalk? What if families could go on vacations together?
The life learning, relaxing, and just plain play that happens on spring break and on summer vacation is lovely to see. I enjoy seeing families enjoying each other and their communities. I wish that our culture valued this more: this time for family, for learning, and for exploring. We can get so serious about our education, so focused on doing the math homework right, thinking so much about how our child’s future rests on this next spelling test.
Sometimes we need a break to realize that life is about a lot more than working towards the goal of finishing high school or doing well in grade one math. It’s about exploring, enjoying the world, and enjoying our families as well, and if we can teach our children this, then they’ve already got a leg up in the school of life.
Image courtesy of hortongrou.