Looking at this necklace, I think of hard work and passion. As a kid, I loved soccer and when I saw this necklace in our school’s fundraising catalog (a cute necklace with a soccer ball!) I wanted it. I saved up fifteen dollars to buy it myself. It was special to me. It is special to me. Looking at it I remember how much time I spent practicing soccer. And I remember how hard I worked to buy something with my own money.
In some ways, my passions have changed and in some ways they’ve grown. You will still find me in the backyard in the summertime kicking a soccer ball around, but I’m not training for a big game. I love swimming for exercise, too. I used to read in all my free time, all day long when I could, getting lost in book after book. I still love reading, and I’ve learned to look deeper into literature. I’ve learned to value eloquence, character development, and applying what I read to life.
As I became a mom, my free time decreased, and my passions took a back seat. They got pushed further and further, only being pursued when I really needed a break. I stopped college before I finished my degree, which was the right choice, but I felt that my education had to end because I wasn’t in school anymore. I felt like my time needed to be devoted to my kids’ passions and interests and their education. Of course there are places where and times when our passions should be bridled, but I have learned that to inspire my kids in their development they need to see me developing. For me to understand their struggles and passions, I need to have my own. And I need to give them space to move at their own rate, to discover their “Picasso” Qualities. I can show them the process by pursuing my passions.
Lately my passions are:
History. I have found history much more interesting in reading historical classics than I ever did reading textbooks or listening to lectures in school. I highly recommend the following:
Captain John Smith: Jamestowne and the Birth of the American Dream by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
Knitting. In December I decided to make Christmas Stockings for our family, because it would be cheaper and easier to get what I was looking for. It has been a lot more fun than I anticipated, and it has been a great activity to do during family scripture study and family discussions.
Watercolor. For Christmas, I hosted a paint night for my mom with my sisters. We had a lady come and teach us about painting flowers and word art. It was so much fun! I did some watercolor in college and it was really fun to add some skills to my talent there.
Parenting. I have never been one to read about parenting or study different discipline philosophies or psychology or anything. Considering all kids are different, I spent most of my time looking to the Lord, which I still think is the best philosophy. But he has led me to some really great books that I have been able to take grains of truth from and add to our parenting philosophies and it has been a lot of fun to watch our relationships grow from that.
What are you passionate about? How do you balance your passions with your kids’ passions?