Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010

Playing make-believe is harder than it used to be

I tried hard not to groan aloud when my 8-year-old daughter asked me to play her current favorite game of fairies with her while we were swimming last week. Fairies is an elaborate game of pretend that Laurel has concocted that involves me getting magic powers when she dumps water on my head.

I am starting to believe that it is just an elaborate ploy to tell me what to do and get me wet at the same time.

While I love hanging out with my kids, there is something about playing pretend games that fills me with dread. I enjoy doing million-piece puzzles, tossing footballs in the yard and turning the kitchen into a huge mess while making a yummy dessert that Laurel saw on the Food Network. Heck, I'm even willing to do messy art projects that take longer to clean up than they do to actually create. But when it comes to playing pretend, I just feel uncomfortable.

I think I am just no longer able to escape the grownup world of deadlines and bills to fully believe that I am a rain fairy.

Because I know that one day soon my kids will no longer believe in these magical worlds, I find myself obliging when Laurel christens me with magical powers even though I'd rather play most any other game.

But maybe next time, I will persuade her to be the rain fairy so I can sprinkle her with water.