As a teenager, cleaning the finished part of our basement fell to me. Dusting the bookcase was my least favourite because it contained old books, an ancient clock, the family Bible and other treasures which took forever to clean. One day, when accomplishing this hated task, I came across a brown folder full of drawing paper. Each sheet contained a rather remarkable pencil sketch. Landscapes, trees, old houses and farms. What stunned me most was that on the bottom of each page was my father’s signature! My dad was the local pharmacist, a scientist and a businessman. Not an artist.
When I asked him about them, he looked a little embarrassed, not a look familiar to him. He muttered that he had taken a minor in art in university, and that’s where these came from.
But many years later, when he retired, his artistic bent re-emerged with a vengeance. He joined an oil painting group at the local community college. Every Wednesday for years, he would head off with his brushes, tubes, canvases and a brown bag lunch. The group would paint all morning, have lunch and socialize together, and paint into the afternoon. Several of his paintings remain on my walls to this day. My dad found purpose at the end of a paintbrush.
Find Your Passion(s)
As a young bride, before the children arrived, I remember reading an ad in a magazine. “We Fire Writers” it said. That enticing tagline went on to say this company fired writers with enthusiasm as they learned their craft. I remember dreaming over that ad. I loved to write, and I’d love to learn more. But we were poor, and then we had kids and we were both poor and busy. Many years passed, and although I remembered the ad, I had no means to do anything about it.
When my husband died at 55, my children were grown and launched, and after his insurance money arrived, I was financially stable. I worked full time, but I had time and a little money, so I signed up for my first writer’s course. This led to a second and third course, writer’s conferences, published works, and just this week, a contract with a publisher. Since I retired, I have prioritized writing. It is one of my passions.
You may have several passions. Think about what makes you sparkle. What feels important and gives life meaning. What brings you joy.
Beyond writing, I love gardening, cooking and baking for others, my relationships with my children and grandchildren and friends. Oh, yes, and various crafty pursuits. Anything creative. And getting my 6,000 plus steps every day.
Passion can change you. It improves your mental health, reduces stress and can encourage a healthier lifestyle. Cognitive function improves, depression is reduced and anxiety is manageable. It helps you deal with the inevitable difficult life events which occur.
I read about a woman who recently became a widow. Lonely and rattling around in her house, she came upon an independent book store which was going out of business. The young man in charge loved and treasured the books, but had no head for business. A former accountant, she sold her house and went into business with him, living above the store. Together, they built a thriving business within a year, but more importantly, she was filled with purpose.
This story may seem radical, and such a move isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but finding purpose in some way needs to be.
Next week: Volunteering your way to purpose.