When I play chase with my chilldren the game will often quickly devovle into a game of Base. What is Base? If you have ever played chase with little kids I am sure you know It is the natural tendency of children to cling to and hover around the safe spot, base. While in base, i cannot tickle them. While in base I cannot even touch them, They are safe. They will only leave base when they are sure I am out of reach. When they do leave base it is when they believe they can out run me back to base. They know they are faster than I am (well they think they are anyway...) but they are only brave enough to stray a few seconds from base.
But one of my favorite games to play with them is Chase. Why? It just so happens that one of the best sounds in the world is my children fleeing, screaming in terror and uncontrollable laughter back to base, The joy spilling from their faces and lungs in that moment is uncontainable. They will not always be this young; they will not always find such great joy in a very simple game, but it warms my heart to hear their pleasure. I will miss these days.
There are, however, days where all the play is base, They refuse to leave the couch, and merely giggle as I pass through the room. Oh how I long for them to join in the game, how I wish they would remember the thrill of the chase, the joy of the moment, but on those particular nights the would rather feel safe. It on these nights that I sometimes ponder, in my life, how often to I play Base?
