Life lessons from my 3-year-old daughter: when you see a hill gleefully somersault down it. Preferably over and over again with your arms spread wide and laughing hysterically.

Play matters. It is medicine for your soul. Being ridiculous matters. Doing things that are fun, frivolous, and joyful are essential. I am truly only beginning to really understand this now. This year. Today.

April was a month of deep sorrow and grief for me and for many people I care about deeply. I have tasted the many flavors of grief – the numb denial, the red hot anger, the soul-rocking sadness, and the exhausting process of bargaining. Grief is a part of witnessing and experiencing injustice. It’s a natural response to loss. It takes a serious toll on your well-being.

So May, June, and likely July will be dedicated to things that are beautiful, joyful, ridiculous, and easy. Because life is hard enough, in order for our hearts to heal we have to feed them with the medicine of deep joy. We need to remind ourselves about the little moment of goodness and beauty that surround us. Like rolling down hills and laughing hysterically.

Please dear ones, if your soul is tired and sad, please put down the to-do list and go play.

Part of the revolution is deep and ridiculously joyful self-care. We need to take seasons where we set down the hard work, the heartache, and the struggle. We need seasons of conscious cultivation of joy and ease to balance out the bravery of living.

Be like my daughter, be ridiculous and unabashed in pursuing what makes your heart come alive.

Please take good care of you.