Little Hidden Surprises...

My kids dressed up as their aspired vocation today for school.

I sent a basketball player, a guitar player, and an artist (well, an eighth-grader who just wore his regular clothes because he hates the school uniform).

I spent the morning speaking in their classrooms about MY vocation.

I told them I have three.

THREE vocations.

I told them all about being a doctor. How long I went to school. My most important tool (my EARS for listening well). All the cool things I did during residency like delivering babies and performing CPR and holding a real live heart during a cardiac bypass surgery.

They tried out my stethoscope and tendon hammer.

They asked me all kinds of questions like, “Did you wear gloves when you touched the heart?” or “Have you ever seen someone die?”

Then I told them about being a mom…my true calling. And at first, they laughed when I told them I think it is my most important ‘job.’

But when I reminded them of ALL the things we moms and dads DO like serving breakfast and driving back and forth to school and working all day to make money to support everyone and cleaning and folding laundry and changing diapers and buying groceries and serving dinner and driving back and forth to soccer practice and giving baths and tucking kids into bed…it did seem to register.

They nodded. Many of them agreed they also want to be Moms and Dads someday.

And then…you guys.

I told them about being a writer.

Actually, I asked them to guess my other vocation and my own 11-year-old’s arm shot in the air as he called out, “Oh that’s easy. Writer!”

I wouldn’t have said that a year ago.

Writing was something I always labelled as frivolous. Something I dismissed as ‘Oh yeah, I’ve always liked writing but who really does that?? That’s not a real vocation is it??? Not for me anyway.’

But now?

I guess writing is my ‘vocation’ because I just announced it to a room full of 2nd and 5th graders.

No, I don’t have a degree. In fact, I took one English class in college because it filled the required elective and fit in my 9:30AM MWF time slot.

No, I don’t make any money writing. In fact, to date I’ve earned a total of $50 on one publication.

But for me, writing is like a gift all wrapped up in a beautiful little box and tied with a gigantic frilly bow that I’ve been waiting to unwrap my entire life.

It lights me up and fills my heart and brings me SO MUCH JOY!!!! Even if no one else ever reads it or likes it or shares it.

I should have known because once after completing my off-service notes during my NICU month I stayed up until 3AM for no reason writing a story through tears about one of my patients. Then I just stared at it…wondering what to do with these words. Should someone read this??? Should I share this somewhere???

Today I told those kids I believe we are ALL given gifts like that!!! Little talents, little hidden surprises straight from God just for us to enjoy!!!

We dance or paint or draw or bake or garden or coach or write or hike or tend animals or a million other things that may never pay us a single penny (or could be an entire career)…

We do it because it makes our hearts SING!!!!!

When I asked about what they liked to do just for the FUN of it, their little eyes flickered.

My own bright-faced 11-year-old piped up again, “I’m going to be an Engineer but I know I will always play guitar!” as his eyes reflected the excitement on his mom’s face because she’s doing something she LOVES!!!!

So now, I need to know, what is YOUR little hidden surprise???

Unwrap it.

Don’t you wonder what’s inside???