Love What You Do?

“I love what I do.”

Really?

Love: strong predilection, enthusiasm, or liking for anything: her love of books.

Predilection?(pred-l-ek-shuhn) : a preference, partiality

Love: Chiefly Tennis . a score of zero; nothing.

So, by definition, love can span from strong to zero, or from enthusiastic to nothing.  No matter what aspect of ones life they plug these definitions into, one experiences swings in bad days, and days that are better. In an imperfect world the job that gives you fulfillment will be a challenge, or downsized, and the people that you depend on to make you happy are going to make mistakes.  In my time, I have let the job down, and the people because I just wasn’t feeling the love that day.

During this Holy Week, as Christians observe the Passion of Christ, and the Jewish Faith celebrates Passover, it focuses for me teachings of commitment and sacrifice, and the other a celebration of freedom.  As one lives their daily lives, and they become passionate about living instead of waiting to be handed an emotional package of love, they will find joy in their commitment, and self-worth in their sacrifices. One will find solutions that usually aren’t found because they persevered. We do things that we don’t feel like doing for people that are important to us, and they smile. My point is not about a sacrifice to the brink of physical suffering, but to the point of going outside of ourselves to support something that has meaning, or somebody that means something. Love is a feeling, and commitment is a choice, and an action. Those are the days, no matter how challenging, that one can look back on, and close their eyes to a peaceful sleep.

Freedoms become opportunities to be celebrated…a gratefulness to make choices in commitment to what is important. One must remember that there are still those in today’s world that have limited choices, and limited freedoms. I have had my car breakdown. As it was in the shop being repaired, my freedom for the day, all of a sudden, became restricted. I couldn’t just get in my car and go. Either I had to walk, or cancel my commitments for that day. As I was walking, I sure did miss my car. I find that when I am grateful for the smaller things, I am free to serve the greater good.

During this week of observance, I am so thankful to live in a time and place that allows me to worship in freedom.  I am so grateful to be part of a practice that daily goes outside itself for it’s patients, and their families. I am grateful to work for a leadership that supports family without question because family is a gift. In these moments one finds their commitment becomes stronger.

So, do I love what I do? I am working on passionate and grateful.