I had an hour free in New York recently, and instead of scrolling through endless emails I hopped down the High Line to see the Calder Circus, a bizarro delight that might be even more enchanting a century after its debut.

Within minutes, I was immersed in an alternate universe, first trying to trace the intricacies of the twisted sculptures and then imagining the acrobats zipping along the guide wires, the horses prancing around the ring, and the lion roaring at the crowd. My imagination was far outpaced by the film of Calder’s own performance, a loop of stunning engineering combined with goofy vignettes.

Next to me, a little kid pulled on his dad’s jacket, saying, Daddy, I wanna play!

Dear ones, life is full of musts. We must finish the report, pay the bill, make the dinner, tend to the chores, catch the train. Thankfully, it’s also full of coulds. We could detour through the park. We could read a poem. We could dance in the kitchen. We could visit a hundred-year-old circus.

Friends, amidst the musts, there are always pockets of coulds. 

Let’s play.