Recently on a family camping trip my son asked if grown-ups stop having fun when they become adults. As I sat there by the campfire with a beer in my hand and eating chips and guacamole I thought fun was had by all. However, his question disturbed me. My husband looked at me curious of the answer too.

I told my son adults just have fun in different ways than kids. We outgrow certain things like jumping on rocks and wrestling in the dirt with our siblings.

Yet that didn’t seem like a complete and acceptable answer.

Do we stop having fun? Or does the meaning of fun change?

Certainly the meaning of fun changes, but does the new kind of ‘fun’ hold the same lighthearted joyfulness our childhoods brought? Is wandering an art museum, something I love to do, fun or enjoyable? I cannot admit that the two are always the same. But for my kids, the two are the same. They have two switches, fun and not-so-fun. Wandering the Louvre is not fun for my boys.

On that same camping trip we took a mighty bike ride. We rode up a mountain for a lifetime. It was tough work but very enjoyable. We stopped several times and laughed about silly things, took selfies, and admired the scenery. It was good family time and highly enjoyable.

The fun didn’t surface until we began the long downhill ride. That part of the ride was exhilarating and dare I say, fun! When we reached the bottom, we all admitted that the uphill trek was well worth it for the ride down.

I consider myself a ‘fun’ mom. I hike, swim, laugh, joke around, insert gads of sarcasm into our lives, ski, skate, bike, dance, travel, play games, and enjoy life. So how is it possible that looking at me my son wondered where all the fun went?

If I had answered him honestly I would have told him taking naps is fun. Drinking a fine wine is fun, but I don’t want him thinking drinking alcohol is fun; though we adults know it is. Laughing with my friends is fun. Road trips with my girlfriends is fun. Buying new shoes is fun. Finding the time to sit down and read a good book is fun.

Or wait…. Are all those things enjoyable?