Skipping Like the Little

Girl to Be Carefree

By

Desiree Future

One Saturday morning I ran errands about eight miles from home. Living in a big city you would think things are easily accessible. However, that is not always the case.

Frustrated that I had to take a drive instead of sleeping in on a Saturday morning, I reluctantly went out. Being on a gluten-free diet requires certain foods which come from certain specialty stores. Or in my situation a thirty-minute drive to a big box store.

After getting everything I needed I started to drive back home. By that time the store had gotten busier and the traffic heavier.

After sitting in snarled traffic, I took a detour down a tiny one-way street. This young girl was skipping in the street while carrying a grocery bag. She seemed oblivious to my presence maybe three car lengths behind her.

I didn’t want to startle her, I lowered my speed and waited for her to get to the sidewalk. She skipped from one leg to the other as her hair and bag swayed with her every movement.

I couldn’t help but think how carefree she looked. By the cars parked on the small street, she had to know that cars had come down the block. She went down the middle of the road as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

How awesome would it be if we took time from our busy lives and skipped like kids? For a brief moment, there would be no battles to fight or mountains to climb, and we wouldn’t have to rob Peter to pay Paul.

Most of us lead busy lives so we don’t take time to smell the roses. We balance family, and work, and if we’re lucky we get to do things for ourselves.

From sun up to sundown, there’s barely enough time in the day to relax. We do so much because we have to get it done. People are depending on us including our furry children.

So, in this new year let’s make a pledge to take fifteen to thirty minutes to be like kids and skip. Let’s play hopscotch, double-dutch, and football (please be careful). Throw all our cares to the wind and just be free for a few minutes.

I’m sure if we did like the little girl we’d all be carefree.  Philippians 4:7: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and you minds in Christ Jesus.

I’m going to play in the fall leaves in my spare time. What will you do with your free time?