Everyone loves a wedding, when the happy couple declares their love for each other. Oh the romance in the air! And the promise, the vows heartfelt and moving, the toasts to happiness. Then there's the formality, stemming from the deep commitment to cherish forever. Weddings are celebratory and serious at the same time.
So, as we reinvent and commit to our midlife selves, why not put a new spin on those wedding vows?
When I started writing, I kept it private, quietly working on a manuscript and writing freelance for local publications. But when I took my reinvented life public, something happened. My work published in literary journals and newspapers was fostered by our union. Writing and I became a team cheered on by friends and family. Now I'm exploring the writing journey with a community of readers at Whole Latte Life. After an anniversary of my committed union, I've become a "reinvention wedding planner" of sorts, hosting fellow authors on my blog as a member of WOW Women On Writing's blog author tours. I've come a long way since my initial engagement, with lots of hard work strengthening the literary marriage.
Isn’t that what we want of our life journey, especially when we choose a different path to travel? To fashion a new identity through a union with a newfound passion? If we want to write, paint, learn a musical instrument, travel, start a new job or business, keeping the idea to ourselves gives it a secretive, illicit air. We’re hush-hush, hiding evidence of our dreams behind closed doors.
The commitment to true reinvention brings with it an attitude of ownership. Voicing your reinvention, vowing loyalty to it, makes it real. So acknowledge your “significant other” self. Walk down the reinvention aisle and declare those vows to the keyboard, or canvas, or camera, or kitchen, or college, and begin the happy union.
It simply starts with a declaration making public your intentions. "I am a writer." Or "I'm returning to college for my degree." Or "I'm learning to cook French recipes." Find a way to say "I do" to your passions.
How will you formally declare your commitment to midlife reinvention?
