The Magic of Merriment
27, October 1560
Dearest Parental Readers,
As your Lady of Communication of the Acton kingdom happenings I would like to share with you a question posed by her honorable Queen that most perplexed the members of the House of Spark and Discovery this week. The Queen sent an owl post with the sentiment of “Do you posture yourself as serious or silly?” Her royal majesty declared that there was far too much seriousness in her kingdom and she wished to be entertained. She desired dance and a joyful display of merriment for her amusement and thus the houses were tested.
As a covert literary agent I managed to be privy to the preparation for the Queen’s visit and the magical visit itself. Their game of dance preparation was a sticky twirl of positivity and questionable resistance. Some dancers were immediately coupled while others laid on the outskirts waiting to be welcomed with eye puddles of water. A rare few embraced the independent thumping of the dance and led a spirited existence as they moved through a multiplicity of tasks. I dare say that the sticky bit of confusion, creation, and trial and error managed to develop into the most artful and graceful dance routines. It serves to remember that in the history of the Acton kingdom most successes have been fruits of failures and difficult hurdles. It is in the hard that heroic knights are born.
This week’s Queen’s challenge was no different. Although the dirt of the dance floor created a fair amount of scuffles and heavy perspiration of the Lord and Ladies of the households the result of the difficulty was a firework display of beauty. Her Royal Majesty the Queen was absolutely delighted with the progress of kindness, the matriculation of station for many, and the wonder of joy on display. The Queen regarded each house as giving her tearful twinges of happiness. Her kingdom had grown and delivered her challenge with magic! Specifically, I witnessed the House of Discovery dance with originality and present a firework finale of a long line of choreographed arm sparkles and bows. The House of Spark were a marvel of grace and tradition. Spark dancers bowed most graciously and shined with sparkling partnerships that evidently warmed noble and royal hearts.
This task of dancing with merriment is just one example of how the Acton kingdom oozes with joy. Work is not enough, play must prevail! Peasants clean with expertise because they revel in the job, Crafters ignite passion for art because they deeply are fascinated by the creative process, and the educated enjoy growing their character and learning new skills because learning by doing evolves them to be noble individuals with a legacy of honor and lightness. But how are the members both successful and joyful? The Acton kingdom members are led by interest and joy! Where there is playful joy soon follows rigor, creativity, leadership, and intellectual thought.
So I beg to wonder, how do we supporting characters encourage the joy and growth of others and in our self? I’ll provide you with two avenues: 1. Take the Queen’s lead and find the fun by stepping back and dancing with 2. Consider reading ideas of current contemporaries such as Sir Ken Robinson’s Finding Your Element and from the Times of New York’s opinion essay of This Simple Fix Could Help Anxious Kids. Support is sticky just like the spirited journey of this week’s dancers.
As you embark on your daily routines I urge you to take the Queen’s cue and find joy and playful glee in the moment and perhaps even step back to allow dancers to delight you! Merriment ripples magical work and a meaningful life. What choice will you choose? Are you serious or are you silly? Might a bend to cheer and a cornered smile widen your eyes to find your calling in this ton? Only time will tell! Until next time devoted parental readers, I implore you to commit to the discovery of your own magical merriment and to dance on!