Play, love, and work

Play, love, and work are operative throughout the human life cycle. The relative contribution of each disposition, however, varies with the particular stage of growth. The development of play, love, and work unfolds in four major periods. During infancy and early childhood, play is the dominant and directing mode of activity; love and work are secondary. After the age of six or seven --- during childhood proper --- work takes charge as play and love take on supportive roles. In adolescence love becomes the overriding determinant of activity, with work and play subsumed under this disposition. In adulthood, play, love, and work become fully separate but can appear together in one or another combination. Some adults, for example, love their work but have little time for play. Then there are the professional athletes whose play is their work. And sometimes all of us appreciate play, love, and work as a single joyful experience. From The Power Of Play - David Elkind, Ph.D. I have finished reading this book and it is good. I have selected a set of quotes from it to write about as I prepare the 'formal' book review. This quote comes from the first chapter where David provides his thesis statement. The alignment of play, love and work with the major periods of growth makes sense. Many of us would like to return to our childhood play days. Others would like to return to that first love in adolescence. I do what I love; running for my physical health, writing for my mental health, and work to pay the bills to make to all happen. What do you do?