My Parents Taught Me To Play

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of New York Life. All opinions are 100% mine.

Before I tell you a little bit about my life, I want you to first watch this video recorded by a grandson of his grandfather. His grandfather talked about God, women, money, art, and family. It's only a little over a minute, so watch and enjoy: My Grandfather

One of the fun parts of being a child is being oblivious to the world around you. All you know is the world you live in, and as far as you are concerned, that's what the rest of the world is like. Growing up, my parents taught me to play. They taught me to laugh. They taught me to not be too serious. I grew up as an only child, so my parents were my play buddies.

It was the little things that made the most difference. It was in the way my father would hide behind the door and scare me and my mom. While mom would sometimes litetally jump out of her heels, I would almost faint from freight and humor. It was in the way my dad would steal pieces of meat from the freshly cooked pot of stew and deny that he did, but there would be drops of oil on his shirt and his lips would have an unusual and damning shine on them. It was always funny to me. It was in my mother going above and beyond to hide her holiday pastries from me and my dad, but we would find it and eat it all, leaving my mom shocked and at a loss of words. It was in my mom entertaining me with the most ridiculous dance steps, especially when she attempted to immitate my dad. It's still funny.

And now I'm  grown, but I still don't know how not to play — and I don't want to learn it. Friends and family say the same thing about me, "You play too much." Most times, it's meant as a compliment. Other times, it's a bone of contention. But I don't know how to be anyone else.

And when I have children, I will pass this on to them. I will teach them how not to take life too seriously. I will teach them to stop and be silly, to never stop laughing, and to never feel too old to act their shoe size. I already have a mental list of the practical jokes I want them to play on their dad, and I can barely wait to see the reaction on his face. Every single time.

And that's the beautiful thing about New York Life's Keep Good Going campaign that encourages people to literally keep good going. Yes, a name is great, but what else are you passing on to your family? What else was passed on to you?

Learn more about how New York Life can help you and your family Keep Good Going but before you go, tell me, how does the video above relate to you in anyway? Is there a life lesson you learned from your family? Or is there a life lesson you plan on sharing – or have already shared – with your family.