Fabulous Passion

Children have it, they just can't help themselves, when they truly love something, want to do something, need to - over and over - whether it is hearing the same book, watching the same movie, singing the same song or doing an activity - they simply have passion. In time, through school and structured rituals, the passions sometimes fade or more accurately defined, they are forced to be buried. How many times have parents told the begging child, "Not now. We have to..." or "Would you please stop that and get ready for..."? I'm guilty. I've been on both sides.

I cringe when I think of the times I told my older son to stop playing with his Matchbox cars. And he remembers. We read "The Truck Book," until it fell apart. He watched big truck videos in the VCR until I thought the images would wear away from the tape. Where could this have gone? No answer is available, it is still happening, he is still interested in engines, racing his quad, how things work and improving what is available.

For awhile, my younger son had a sketch pad that was to become his own comic book. Hours were spent recreating cartoon super heroes until the entire project was discarded. Once in awhile he sketches words and letters, but could it have been more? Does he have a struggling artist within that he forces aside for the tasks he has to or should complete? Is it something all together different? Something more?

My youngest nephews have their own outward passions and sometimes they may seem to consume too much of their time and attention. Now, in a non-mother role, I say fuel them! Get them to baseball camp, buy yarn, let one take a computer programming class and design his own game, whatever it takes, keep the fires burning. Better now then when we become adults and revisit our childhood interests anyway, fanning the glowing embers, trying to recreate and recapture a bit of what might have been, should have been and can still become.

I keep my passions nearby and answer their call when the ringing is loud like an annoying alarm clock and I can simply not hit snooze any longer. They push their way to the top of the water like fish fighting for food in a tank.