The passage of a passion

So, I heard today that an acquaintance has made the decision to sell off all her fiber related books, spinning wheel and sewing machine. She is no longer able to participate in this craft due to a chronic illness that makes it too painful for her. Since hearing this, I've been giving it a lot of thought. I was very into knitting and crochet when I was in high school and college. I walked away from it when my children were in school and I was involved in all the after-school frenzy that is the teen lifestyle of today. Did I miss it? A bit, but frankly I was so busy with my kids that I hardly thought about spending time for myself. What would it mean for me if I had to give it up today?

At first, I was so sad for this committed fiber person. That would be my first reaction if I realized that I could no longer physically participate in this passion. Sadness. Upon further thought, I found inspiration in her approach. She is selling off everything and using the cash to develop a new passion. I found myself interested in the research involved in learning and jumping into something completely new and different. I visualized shopping for the new supplies and planning how things would be set up. I imagined the excitement of the challenge of starting over.

In the end, life is about passages and passion. As we grow and move through the stages of life; things change. The key to really living is to find passion, be it new or old, in whatever stage of life you are currently experiencing. The next time I see this person, I intend to thank her for reminding me of this important life lesson. For me, I feel passion when I am able to be creative. Do I need fiber to feel creative? No, there are many avenues for creativity. But, I realize that when I am frustrated, feeling trapped, feeling like the lifeblood is being sapped from me; it is usually because my creativity is being stifled. In that situation, I must change my circumstance through either changing my situation or finding a way to bring creativity back into the picture.

I will end this post with a photo I took of some beautiful roses that my daughter brought me last week. She happened upon them in a store and said that they caused her to think of me. She knows I love yellow roses. These roses were just tossed into a vase of water and have become more beautiful each and every day. They have opened perfectly without a loss of a petal or a tinge of brown. I have enjoyed them so much. And, each time I look at them, they cause me to think of her.