I, Sandye Linnetz, on the approach of the 67th anniversary of my birth, am hereby officially tendering my resignation as a grown-up.
I have decided that instead of living my life as an adult, I would prefer to live the life of a 6-year old again.
I want the world to be new every day! I want to go to McDonald’s and think that it’s a four star restaurant.
I want to splash in fresh mud puddles….and run through raindrops.
I want to look into the mirror and see a Princess. Pour tea from an empty pot. Let my imagination take me everywhere.
I want to think M&M’s are better than money because you can eat them…and think peas are the medicine to cure anything.
I want to go hiking and exploring and search for “instresting” things.
I want to tap dance in the middle of department stores and sing along, at the top of my voice, with every song I hear.
I want to smile at strangers who look nice and have someone hold my hand when I cross the street.
I want to lie under a big tree and eat icy cappuccino bars with my friends on a hot summer’s day.
I want to return to a time when life was simple… when all you knew were colors, smells, community helpers and the beginnings of the multiplication table, but that didn’t bother you, because you didn’t know what you didn’t know and you didn’t care. Besides, Mommy and Daddy knew every answer to every question you could possibly ask, anyway. All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.
I want to think that life is fair. That everyone is honest and good.
I want to believe that anything is possible and that miracles do happen. I want to wear magic shoes.
I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited by the little things again.
I want to live simply. I don’t want my day to consist of rushing, paperwork, computer crashes, money worries, politics, gossip and illness.
I want to play in the sunshine and have naptime with my trusty teddy.
I want to enjoy trees and flowers and mud and worms and soaring birds and shells and sticks and rocks and lady bugs. I want to play dress-up.
I want to play – side-by-side – with my grandchild and godchildren and nieces and nephews and almost-relative-type kids as they grow and flourish and discover life! I want to dance at their weddings and play with their offspring.
I want to “be” with my mother, my children, my family and my bestest friends… giggling, laughing, sharing, loving and being loved. I want lots of really fun playdates!
I want to exercise my creativity, my brain and my body. I want to doodle and scribble; to make stuff! I want to learn new ways to put words together and write my name in big block letters and do collages. I want to go running, listen to loud music, splash in the tub, play games, shop for toys and eat with my fingers. I want to travel by boat and plane and train and car and visit cool, new places and old friends…and none of it alone!
I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, justice, a kind word, truth, peace, dreams, love, creativity, imagination, mankind and G-d.
I want to play “make people MAGNIFICENT!” and share the gifts I have and my joy for living.
So….here’s my cell phone. Take my ipad, my lap top, checkbooks, my wallet, my car-keys, my credit cards and my files. I am officially resigning from adulthood.
And if you want to discuss this further, you’ll have to catch me first, cuz, “Tag! You’re it”!
Oh, wait. I don’t have to resign… I already do all of this cool stuff!
Sandye Linnetz, this is your life!
P.S. Except for the parts about McDonald’s and the M&Ms…these are my goals for the next 67 years, too!