Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Smiling Despite Your Self







When my youngest daughter was a little pin-dot she would sometimes get an attack of the glums; an attack so powerfully projected and pervasive that it would bring the whole household 
d
  o
        w
            n....


One of the wellbeing ways I used to lift her - and us! - was to create poems and songs which would make her smile despite herself. Here's one such creation from that time:

Take care my bunny
Please mind that lip
It's pouting so far now
You might go and trip
Beware the Gloomy
The Gloomy is glum
And so are the rest of us
When the Gloomy is done
Dark are the shadows
Where Gloomy has been
Beware the Gloomy
This Gloomy is mean
Sad little Gloomy
Covered in gloom
Moaning and groaning
Alone in her room
Come on out Gloomy
into the sun
There's fun to be had
This day's just
Begun!
Shamelessly derivative, inspired as it was by the poetry of Colin McNaughton. Nevertheless, it really did work, and I remain very fond of this poem. Growing up shouldn't mean that we can't be playful. Of course, wellbeing isn't about being relentlessly happy twenty four seven (heaven forbid). We experience a range of moods, and our highs are defined in relation to our lows. However, it is about being aware of ways through which we can increase our emotional resilience, and improve our general sense of wellbeing. 
Beware the gloomy!


Colin Howey <*((((><(

6 comments:

  1. Love this. I am a great fan of adults learning (again) from kids. Alion L

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi,

    Thanks for commenting - always great to hear responses from folk here! I agree. In fact, the title of my blog is a quote from the random brain of this not so little angel (she's nearly 14 now!!!).

    All the very best,
    Colin <*((((><(

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really like it when people take the time to make comments on my blog
    :-)

    <*((((><(

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Colin
    on the subject of smiling regardless: mark twain said:
    " 'On with the dance! let joy be unconfined' is my motto, whether there's any dance to dance or joy to unconfine"

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Maureen,

    I think he went onto say, "and on with the hats too!" ;-)
    <*(((><(

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hats are good. There are not enough hats.

    ReplyDelete