We recently ventured out to Adventure Playground down at the Berkeley Marina. It was one of those playgrounds on the back of my radar. A 'maybe we will check it out some day' park but not high on the list since I am not a fan of driving too far for a park and the marina can be cold and windy. But when it came up again on conversation recently, we decided to head on down and check it out as a family.
Thankfully, it was a warm Sunday afternoon, with only a slight breeze and we sailed down with I-80 with surprising ease.
Upon entering the playground, the girls were delighted to discover they could run and play, paint and hammer and do just about whatever in this free for all zone. Parents do need to stay close to their little people as there are nails, steep steps, wably walkways and other potentially dangerous things.
I always get a kick out of my girls enthusiasm for life. The term
"living vicariously" never meant much until I had children. And on this
day, I soaked up the wonder through their eyes. Especially little Havana who went up and down (and up again) on every slide and stairs.
And that was interesting to me, enjoying their fun. Because I really didn't like the playground. It wasn't that I didn't like the playground, it was the feeling there. Something felt odd; like sticky, yucky energy. I felt like I wanted to quickly leave that physical space. However, I discovered when I held my feelings and other playground without judgement, something shifted. Then I was able to be with my own experience and theirs without wanting to leave.
Not too long after that, the girls asked me if I liked the place. As always, I was honest. But I also told them that it was okay that I didn't like it, that they were having a good time and that shouldn't change their experience. Not shifting their experiences based on others experiences is an important
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| The Bay |
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