Last weekend we were at the beach. Have you ever noticed how many balls there are at the beach?
There were kids kicking balls and grownups throwing them—on the sand and in the surf. There were people throwing balls to dogs who charged with glee to retrieve them in the waves. There were men smacking a little ball with paddles...trying to keep the volleys going. And there was the forgotten ball floating as the waves brought it in and took it out.
Not to be outdone by the activities near the water, a football soared between several would-be quarterbacks in the sand closer to the dunes.
As I watched, I wondered about the first people who happened upon throwing and catching and throwing again - a stone perhaps - as “fun”. And as I watched a toddler nearby roll a little colorful ball, I thought about the part that little ball - and others - will play in her development.