Reliving My Passion

Fascination towards the healthcare industry was not something that sprouted in me for the recent years. As a child, I have always wanted a pair of vinyl surgical gloves as a present. I craved to get the feel of it and move my fingers inside. The white lab coats seemed like a holy gown like the ones which the Gods would wear! I yearned to listen to the sounds from a stethoscope. Growing up, my parents knew well that I had a liking towards these materials which related to healthcare but what I had was more than a liking. I had a longing! In fact, I loved the smell of hospitals but dared to reveal this as I had the fear of being frowned upon this peculiar liking.

It is a common understanding that a plant may fail to thrive without fertilizers. Looking back, I feel like this can happen with humans too! Without any boost to feed my interests, I failed to follow my heart and make myself a career in healthcare. Life can act very funny sometimes and life changing things can happen before you realize it. I got married and had a family by twenty. At that point, I started accepting my domestic life as it was and that it was probably how my life was meant to be!

Years passed by doing household chores, pleasing family and raising kids little realizing that once upon a time, I did have a passion towards something. Seemed like that that 'passion' in me had died and wilted away long ago.

Something magical happened when my daughters grew up. It felt like they let go of me. I no longer had babies to feed, toddlers to potty train, preschoolers to teach and elementary school kids to help with homework. I started to imagine how my life would be in years ahead.

How can someone have all this time and not do anything with it? Will I be able to live a sane life when my kids moved to college? The choice was solely mine - to become caught in a lonely, depressed life or become vibrant using my new independence. I tried to initiate small business plans to work on, do little jobs here and there but again, something did not feel quite right. I felt incompleteness and searched all around to fill in what was missing inside me.

It took me four days of hospitalization for me to spark that childhood passion I had for healthcare. I had enjoyed being in and around the hospital for those four days and found that I had gained a new source of energy to thrive on. The unpleasant part was that the hospitalization was not for me but my father-in-law!

It dawned upon me that passion never dies. I still had that love for healthcare. I remembered how I had longed to make myself a healthcare professional and gave up to life. Now, it is life's turn to produce me with an opportunity to pursue my dreams. I have a second chance at defining my career through the growth of my children-through the establishment of my family life!

After my realization, my energy knew no bounds. I looked into what it takes to become a registered nurse. I made myself a plan and did not let me age be a part of it. I took appointments with counselors to consult my plan and everything felt right. Here I am a student again. This time, harder working, more goal oriented, and more determined as ever. I completed the pre-requisites with awe and am standing by for admittance into nursing programs. I can never say that I did not have a chance to follow my dreams. Passion is something within everyone and it needs the right time to blossom. I believe that now, it is my time and I will relentlessly achieve it with pride.