Grandma says to eat a pound of dirt a year to be healthy. I ate my pound today, so I should be good until next November, right? I was out doing more yardwork than I had done all year. I blew leaves, raked, mowed. My dog likes to play fetch, so there are now dirt paths she takes to chase down her ball in my yard. When I was blowing leaves, I also blew a lot of dirt. There were clouds of dust and dirt swirling around me. By the time I was done, I literally had dirt coming out my nose. I went to the sink for some water, but decided to rinse out my mouth first when I felt grit on my teeth. When I wiped the drops of water from around my mouth, I could feel the dirt slide across my cheek. It was time for a shower. When I took off my socks, I thought I had gotten a tan, but then I realized it was a dirt line. I stared at the streams of dirt flowing down the center of the tub and felt pride. I hadn’t been that dirty in awhile.

I used to be dirty all the time when I was a kid. We’d roll down hills, jump in puddles, climb trees, stomp through creeks. In soccer, we knew we didn’t play hard enough if our socks weren’t covered in mud and grass stains by the final whistle. Kids don’t seem to be getting that dirty anymore.

My tween daughter is all about the beauty products these days. What’s trending? I need it. Well, honey, guess what? I just used this dirt and sweat exfoliant, and it works great! And it’s free! Add a little fresh air and sunshine, and your face will glow like mine!

Come on kids! Stop looking at sunset photos and playing games on your tech devices. Get outside. Find your own fun. Appreciate nature in 3-D. Eat some dirt. It’s good for you!