Patty here and I’m facing a problem that I’m sure most parents deal with some time or another. My twenty-year-old daughter plopped down in a chair in my office and asked the question everyone ask at one time or another:
“Mom, I don’t know what to do with the rest of my life.”
Such a profound question! And one I couldn’t answer until about ten years ago so if you’re one of those blessed few who knew exactly what you wanted to be with you grew up, this blog post isn’t for you.
You see, I was too ADD to make a career choice. The truth was you name it, I wanted to at least give it a try. In elementary school, I read every book I could find on the presidents because I was determined to occupy the Oval Office. But by the time sixth grade rolled around, I scratched public office off my list, instead taking a serious interest in writing romantic poetry and roller derby.
My middle school years were spent discovering the artist inside. While playing music wasn’t in the cards, I found my talent on the dance floor. So for the next five years, I twirled my way into the local dance company, spending six days a week at the studio and searching for colleges with good dance programs.
Did I tell you that I had ADD?
After college, I worked as a registered nurse for six years until I got a better job, that of a stay-at-home mom. When the girls started school, I put out magazines at Wal-mart, hung wallpaper for contractors, taught autistic kids and was named one of the top sales people in the country at both a well known candle shop and a office supply store.
My dad called me his Jackie of all trades.
So how did I end up on the Craftie Ladies of Romance? It was a total God thing as in God called me to write and I listened to Him. Where as most of my jobs lasted a couple of years or so, I've been writing for ten years now and I've never been happier. Isn't that just like God? In Jeremiah, He tells us that He knows the plans He has for us. Just like our earthly parents, God has big dreams for us!
And He has one for my darling girl as I’ve reminded her over and over again. So today, let’s talk about the dream God has laid on your heart for your life. I'd love to hear about your journey to find God's dream for your life.
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This was so needed for both me and my daughter right now.
ReplyDeleteI have done a lot in my life but writing has always been a constant. I see my daughter at 25 wondering what she will do with the rest of her life and am thankful we now live in a world where it is okay to jump around and be "Jackies of all trades."
Thanks for this blog post.
Peace, Julie
Hey Julie--My oldest daughter just decided to go to nursing school which totally blew me away! She never seemed the nursing type to me! But when I see the peace she has about her decision, I know it's a God thing for her too.
ReplyDeleteNow if my youngest would give herself a break and rely on God to plan her life. . .
firstly Happy Birthday Patty,
ReplyDeleteHere in Australia we call it a Jill of all trades for women. I still dont know what I want to do with my life. I am in the process of looking for work now starting this week. Im glad you are now an author
Hi Jenny! You know, my husband is wrestling with this question too--he's been an engineer for over 30 years now and I see his heart being pulled into the direction of ministering to the homeless. I'm praying he stops struggling against it and finds his God-given passion soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the birthday greetings--I appreciate it!
Yes, God Has dreams for us the same way our earthly parents do but God knows He Can Trust us if we trust Him.
ReplyDeleteI was always very focused in what I wanted to be. no Jack (or Jill) of all trades for me ;).
I wanted to be a nurse since I remember but my Dad said "no way a daughter of mine will be passing the bedpan in hospitals" (he had an old view on things while wanting to be very modern). Then I wanted to travel the world, meet lots of people and dreamed of being an Air Hostess and my Dad almost went off the roof "what? a daughter of mine serving booze on a plane? no way." and I always agreed that he was probably right...
Years passed and I went to study for Personal Assistant. My Dad frowned but it was a job with demand, at the time, and he let it go.
I enjoy my work very much and the other day I realised I had become a little of the two previous dreams of mine - I work in an huge direction and I'm enlisted on First Aid Group so from time to time I do have to be a bit of a nurse and I've been knowing for serving coffees in meetings ahahah. So I guess God got around my Dad and allowed my dream to become true through His Ways.
The fact that your daughter is so eager to start a life she's already living speaks highly of her energy and capability.
Sending Blessings your way.
Teresa
I am looking forward to a book called Jackie of All Trades.. just so you know.
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to be writer so went off to college and majored in journalism thinking, "I'll write snappy articles for the Readers' Digest and go visit cool places." LOL, RD never even bothered to reject what I sent them, so I headed to the local newspaper to be offered obituary writing for less money than I made waitressing my way through college.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, my parents didn't think I should be a nurse either--but their problem was that I was just too tender-hearted to deal with sick people all day! Well, I showed them! LOL
ReplyDeleteAnd Pamela, I actually started a book called Jackie of all trades, but then I realized I was a historical writer and couldn't figure out how to make it work. Maybe I should revisit that idea. . .
Love this post! Especially the part about you wanting to be in roller derby. lol
ReplyDeleteSomeone told me that writers are generally "Jackie's of all trades" because of the inherent creative curiosity and need to experience lots of things before we can write about them. I don't know if that's true for all, but it was for me.
Patty, such a great post! Can I ask what happened to your dancing aspirations? Just curious. :)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't someone who knew all along that I wanted to be a writer. I just LOVED reading romance! It wasn't until college that the idea hit me and I didn't act on it until I was a stay-at-home mom. It was a frustrating beginning because I had no clue how to start and didn't take the time to educate myself on the art of writing. But years later, I started again and now have that first book out. What is your daughter passionate about? What interests her? Maybe that will give her some direction. Again, thanks for this post.
Ausjenny, good luck in your job hunting!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to study medicine and writing...chose the medical route with a degree in medical technology.
ReplyDeleteWrote a little when my children were young and then put that dream on the back burner.
Fast forward to kids in college. I'm back in the lab working part-time and happen to start writing for a medical lab publication....
Which led to fiction...
Love Inspired suspense...
And publication!
Go figure!
All in God's time, of course.
Ausjenny, praying for your new job!
ReplyDeleteTeresa, loved reading YOUR story!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Patty. I'm forced to admit that I never really had a plan for 'when I grow up'. Loved to write but it never ocurred to me that it could be anything but a hobby. Even when I started college, I majored in Math because it was something I enjoyed - I had no idea what I'd do with a BS in Mathematics. Finally landed in computer studies during my Sophomore year and found my calling.
ReplyDeleteI sure didn't know what I wanted at 20. I just amble along, try to serve God and do good things, take care of myself, etc and see what happens next. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWaving to Jessica! So good seeing you at ACFW!
ReplyDeleteEveryone else, too!
Roller Derby, yeah, um.
ReplyDeleteI've been skating since I was five--my great uncle owned a skating rink and my great grandfather use to take me every Saturday(he worked there.) And yes, my great grandfather was up in years--he was around 89 the last time he took me to the rink. Now there's a story to be told . . .
As far as dancing goes, life ended that career option--dancers make a little more than squat and the only way you can really make it is to be super talented(which I wasn't) or start your own studio(I was broke.) But I do take credit for helping start the dance company at Kennesaw State University and I have had one of my dance pieces used by the Ruth Mitchell dance company.
If I only had the energy now that I had then. ~sigh~
Great post, Patty! (and I was delighted to meet you at ACFW last weekend--have a cute photo of you and Ruthy I'll be posting on FB!). As a child, I wanted to be a mother and a teacher, and God allowed me to become both. Although motherhood is my absolute favorite, I also loved teaching kindergarten and had planned on doing so for many more years. However, 4 years ago the Lord closed the door on my teaching career (due to major back/spinal problems and pain) and then He opened the door for me to write! As difficult as it was giving up teaching (LOVED those little children) I'd also dreamed of being a writer for years. So now I see that He had a plan for me all along, and I continue praying for guidance as I follow this adventure. ~ Blessings from Georgia, Patti Jo :)
ReplyDeleteHello Ausjenny! Good to see you on here! Good luck with the job and finding your "bliss"....such an important thing these days! Happy birthday, Patty! I, too, didn't know what I wanted to do when I grew up! What I really wanted to do wasn't really practical, even though it started to be my major in college. One day my dad just said, "you know you really have to pick something in college that you can work with!" and he was right! I knew someday I wanted to be a wife & mother (but that came so much later than I thought!!!) so it's a good thing I "buckled down" and decided on something that supported me for so many years until I found the love of my life and had those wonderful children! I used that career to help my children too but you just never know.....
ReplyDeleteValri
Hi Patty! Hugs, hugs, hugs!!! It was so great meeting you at ACFW conference. Two fly girls (grin).
ReplyDeleteI didn't know all that job-hopping was ADD! LOL. As a young girl, I wanted to sing and would spend hours on the swingset singing my lungs out. Alas, I don't have a singing voice. Maybe that's why mom preferred I sing outdoors. With that dream dashed, I tried art, writing, bookkeeping, writing, computer science, writing, museum docent, yet more writing, librarian, and finally figured out that writing was where I belonged. Uh-hum. Can we say dense? God had to hit me over the head a few times for that to sink in. What I'm saying is that your daughter will find her place...in God's time and with His guidance.
Jenny, good luck on the job search! I hope you find something truly exciting.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, how cool that you're doing a little nursing after all. Great story.
ReplyDeletePatty,
ReplyDeleteI loved your post. From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to be a teacher. I played school with my dolls and my brothers (poor little guys). I was the oldest. :) But I always liked to tell stories, too. I just didn't realize until I was well into my adult years that those stories could translate into books that other people could read.
I guess one thing I did leave out of this post was my love of books--I mean, who can be a writer and not love books?
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved making up stories. My parents were those people who thought Sunday wasn't complete without an afternoon drive out in the country. So why they looked at gardens and cow pastures, I sat in the backseat, dreaming up stories where I was a character on 'I Dream of Jeanie' or Batgirl's sidekick. Those stories I'd made up in my head are the only way I got through those Sunday drives.
Christine, what is it with Fly Girls and swings? I'm still a sucker for the back porch swing!
I want to thank everyone who dropped by today--I promise, next time, I'll focus on history. But none of that boring stuff--trust me!
ReplyDeletePatty, fly girls must love swings because of the sensation of flying! As a small child, I used to jump off little mounds of dirt and pretend I was flying. I suspect lots of kids did stuff like that.
ReplyDelete