Wishing you a Boring Day

When my kids were little they belonged to a summer reading club at the local library. One of the books gifted them through the program sponsored by TD Bank was a book called When Jeremiah Found Mrs. Ming. In the story, Jeremiah repeatedly tells Mrs. Ming he has nothing to do, and Mrs. Ming always responds with, “I can think of a hundred things to do.”

And so they go about doing household chores and having fun while doing them. Jumping on the bed when sheets have been tucked in and riding on the broom when the sweeping is done. When the task and fun is complete, Jeremiah will once again state that he has nothing to do, and Mrs. Ming ups the ante by saying, “I can think of a thousand things to do.”

Of course, this became my usual response if and when my kids said they had nothing to do. I’d eagerly exclaim that I could think of a thousand things to do. And on we’d go creating our own list of things, doing them, and mimicking the fun and laughter found in the book.

Now, I wonder, if I gave my kids enough time to be bored. Between the body painting, diving into the above ground Walmart pool, and traipsing all over the place for fun, play and picnics, did I give them enough time to be bored?

Bored isn’t a bad thing. It’s a time to slow down, give ourselves the opportunity to think and thus explore our creative selves. When we are bored we come up with new ideas, solve problems, and find time to just be, gaining comfort in who we are, and expressing our true selves, while we get in touch with our own hearts and find joy in the moment.

Here’s a little video I made some time ago about the benefits of boredom.

What do you think? Is boredom a good thing? What do you do if you find yourself feeling bored, or if your kids say they’re bored?

In the meantime, while you think about that, I wish you a super boring day!