March 21, 2002

FIND YOUR PASSION

Today is my birthday.

One year ago tonight I shared my birthday with my favorite middle daughter, Lesley, giving her a surprise bridal shower at the restaurant where she thought we were having my party. It was the perfect ruse. She even carried in the gifts, thinking they were mine rather than hers. She stood for fully two minutes staring at the table of guests, totally perplexed, before she realized that the party was for her.

During Lesley's wedding weekend, which was held in the backyard and living room of our home in Florida, each of my children came to me privately, worried that as the nest was emptying, we might consider selling the house for a smaller, simpler home. I assured each of them that we loved the house as much as they, and that we planned to stay there for many years. And I meant it! But four months later we moved to New York and this wonderful new life at the Foundation for Economic Education. Who would have thought it one year ago today?

Tonight I am sharing my birthday with my favorite youngest daughter, Hayley, preparing for a road trip tomorrow. We are taking five of her favorite New York friends with us to Florida for spring break. Sixteen hours in a car. Each way. Crazy? I suppose. But I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing. For nearly thirty years I've been driving kids where they want to be, and I love being the mom to do it.

Lately my favorite oldest daughter, Valerie, (for they are all my favorites, of course) has been telling me that I need to find out what I want to do for myself, now that my youngest is nearly grown. "You're entitled," she says. "Find your passion. Do what you want to do!"

And I sit perplexed, trying to figure out what that is. What do I passionately want to do? There was a time when I passionately wanted to be a dancer. And I wanted to act onstage in a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. And I wanted to travel to the ancient world and see Athens and Pompeii and Machu Picchu. And I wanted to play the piano well enough to accompany the congregation at church--or at least to accompany my family on Christmas Eve. And I wanted to ski down a mountain and gallop a horse.

Well, I can't gallop the horse.

But I've done all the rest.

Last Thursday I stood in the middle of Times Square, right beneath the clock where the ball drops down on New Years Eve. (It's there all year long--did you know that?) Hayley's favorite traveling friend Meredith was visiting from Orlando, and while the girls tried on cosmetics in Sephora, I stood outside in the warm night air, smelling the roasted nuts mingled with the aroma of hot dogs, listening to traffic, watching the giant video screens, and marveling all the time that I'm here, on Times Square, and I live on Broadway! (Okay, I live on Broadway 20 miles north of Times Square, but it's still the same Broadway.) Forty years ago I fell in love with Rodgers & Hammerstein when I saw Oklahoma! in a movie theater. Now Oklahoma! is on Broadway again, and I'm going to see it. (And eighteen years ago, when we lived in the Bahamas, I actually sang and danced in the chorus of Oklahoma!) Do dreams come true? I'd say so.

This is my jubilee year. The ancient Israelites found something mystical in seven times seven, and made the fiftieth year one of jubilee, the year when debts are forgiven and life starts anew. I don't like being so close to 50. But I do like what I've done with my life so far. In fact, I'm passionate about it.

-- Jo Ann Skousen

email: jaskousen@mskousen.com

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