to passion

If that title doesn't get you, we need to talk. I do not speak of sex (although I would if prompted!), I speak of that thing that floats your boat, that makes your eyes twinkle, that titillates you.  Okay, maybe I am speaking about sex?!  NO!!!  I speak of that thing that you would rather be doing right now.  With the exception of the aforementioned activity, I want you to think for a minute of your passion.  For some, it might be fishing.  For some, it might be quilting.  For some, it might be Sudoku (and if that's you, we again need to talk!).  Got it?  Now the big question.  Have you visited it lately?  If not, why not?  You see, I believe that it is those passions that allow us to do the mundane, requisite things in life.  Work.  Chores.  Work.  And it is passion that allows us to do the important things in life.  Care for our families.  Care for our friends.  Care for our environment.  You see, if we don't take care of ourselves, we can't really take care of anything (anyone) else.  Consider the prompt of the airline attendant.  In case of a loss of cabin pressure an oxygen mask will hit you on the head.  Place the mask over your face and breathe normally (yeah, right...we're about to crash and you want me to breath normally?!).  Be sure to secure your mask before you help someone else.  Makes sense.  If we can't breathe, how can we help someone else?  The same is true in life.  If we don't take care of ourselves, how can we care for others?  And to take care of ourselves, we need to be centered--comfortable in our own skin.  And your passion stimulates that comfort.  It encourages it.  It engenders it.  For me, it's cooking.  And baking.  And making fudge.  I love to do these things.  And the beauty of my passion is, I get to share the results with other people.  This past weekend we had lots of company at our house to eat, and I was literally in hog heaven (that would have been the pulled pork!).  I got to salve my passion and soothe my ego by cooking things that the company loved to eat (or so they said!).  I got to experiment in some cases and rely on tried and true recipes in others.  And while the work (play?) was tiring, the results and rewards were amazing.  I got to say "I love you" without ever opening my mouth!  They had to open theirs!  And suddenly, once again, my compass points true North.  (And no, that is not a veiled referent to the topic of which I am not speaking!)  I am complete.  I can take the garbage out and not complain.  I can do a couple loads of laundry and not complain.  I can pull weeds and enjoy it.  Because I have passion, and I visited!  May you find time for your passion.  And may you always know you are loved!