We've been, the husband and I, talking to our 13-year-old (my stepdaughter, his daughter) about the importance of developing a passion for some particular endeavor, then pursuing it with great energy. It's important for her to hear this...but also, perhaps, a bit intimidating for her. She's more of a generalist at this point...and I don't mean that in a sarcastic way at all.
What I think I want to tell her, the next time we have one of these "little talks" about life, is: Don't worry right now if you still like to do a lot of things...but it's important to do all of them with passion. To explore with passion. My son, like most toddlers, has a knack for this. I've learned something by watching him play. His latest passion is to point to the letter "z" on one of his blocks in the living room, then march over to the alphabet I've posted on the dining room wall and touch the letter "z," while emitting a shout of delight. He's in love with the alphabet...and with the connections that he's suddenly making.
What else did I try to do as a graduate student, but attempt to make connections--and to pursue those connections with a passion? I'm not sure I succeeded--in other words, I'm not sure that the connections I pursued were all that worthwhile; but that's beside the point. When I finished my thesis, all I could think about was "Now I finally have time to write--anything I want." And though my parents' illnesses then the birth of my child postponed the fulfillment of that passion, I'm sure now that it will be fulfilled, one way or another.
The best gift we can give our children, perhaps, is an understanding of the importance of passion--not blind passion, of course, but something much more exciting and rewarding.
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