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My friend Debbie had dreamt of going to Australia since she was ten years old. Growing up watching Jacques Cousteau on television, she wanted to see the Great Barrier Reef for herself. She planned to become an oceanographer until she saw a certain movie when she was 16. Can you guess what movie it was? Jaws may have changed her career path, but she always kept her love for the sea.
Decades later, Debbie was anticipating three milestones in her life: turning 50, celebrating 30 years at her job, and being a breast cancer survivor for 3 years. She wanted to celebrate in a meaningful way, so she decided to combine her passions—travel and photography—and plan an Australian adventure to the Great Barrier Reef. God provided every step of the way, from a free airline ticket using her frequent flyer miles to getting the last seat in the tour group she wanted. During this trip of a lifetime, she shot more than 2400 photographs and yes, finally swam in the Great Barrier Reef. About seeing the Great Barrier Reef, Debbie says, “I felt like I was on Cloud Nine. God loved me. I wasn’t dead yet. I can’t even describe the joy I felt.”
Debbie’s next adventure? Becoming a volunteer whaler on whale-watching cruises in her local city. She’ll get to answer questions and share her love for the ocean with others. These hobbies and passions put the spring in Debbie’s step and keep her young. She’s constantly learning about things that interest her, plus she’s excited about any opportunity to share Christ with the people she meets.8
Pam Farrel writes about her adventurous friend, also named Debbie, in her book Woman of Confidence:
She has hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim and to the top of Yosemite’s Half Dome alone. She biked across Europe several times. She has led seven trips to Russia to help with church planting and women’s ministry. She has kayaked the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. She took a ferry to Seward, Alaska, and then paddled back to Juneau on the open sea to her home on the backside of a glacier. In 2007 she was named the top outdoor educator in Alaska and was selected to lead the Discovery Channel team as they filmed their Alaskan specials.9
This woman has some serious hobbies. Like me, you may not have much in common with these adventurous Debbies. Your favorite hobby might be sitting in a lounge chair poolside, playing bridge, or bargain hunting at Nordstrom Rack. It doesn’t matter what your hobby is; it just matters that you regularly do something you enjoy.
My mom loves cooking and arranging flowers. My sister-in-law Cindy enjoys glass blowing. My husband is learning how to play the guitar. We have longtime family friends who are retired doctors that enjoy dancing twice a week—the waltz, fox-trot, swing, and salsa. If you want to learn a new skill, such as dancing, playing an instrument, or knitting, check out your local community college. You’d be surprised at the wide offering of affordable classes ranging from sign language to woodworking for women.
Sometimes you can even use your hobby to minister to others. When my friend Kay found out she had breast cancer, she received a prayer quilt from a group called “Prayers and Squares.” This caring group of quilters sews unique quilts for cancer patients, sick babies, and people facing surgery or personal crisis. Before a quilt is given, the quilters tie knots in the quilt and pray for the recipient, literally blanketing them in prayer. “It had such an enormous impact on me,” Kay says. Inspired by the quilt, she decided to begin quilting herself just three years ago when she was going through chemotherapy.
Kay started going to a quilting class at a continuing education center. “The group totally embraced me. They were the most incredible women I had ever met. I was learning to quilt, and I got through breast cancer, radiation, and chemotherapy.” Today, a healthy and vibrant Kay has started a “Prayer and Squares” group at her own church, giving back in a way that is both meaningful and fun.10
If you were to see one of Kay’s beautiful quilts, you would think she’s been quilting for ages, but she’s been doing it for only three years. She had a sewing background, which certainly helped, but she says sewing clothes and sewing quilts are vastly different. It just goes to show it’s never too late to learn. It may not be as easy to pick up an instrument or learn a new language at age 65 compared to 5, but it can be done. You need one essential component: patience. New skills aren’t attained overnight, but the perseverance required to learn will strengthen both your brain and your heart.
I love the story of Nola Ochs, who became the world’s oldest college graduate at 95 when she received her diploma at Fort Hays State University in 2007. When she learned she was only 30 hours short of a bachelor’s degree, she decided in her nineties to move 100 miles from her family farm to a university apartment to finish her degree. She earned a general studies degree with an emphasis in history, graduating alongside her 21-year-old granddaughter.11
If Nola Ochs can finish a college degree at 95, you can learn a new hobby at your current age. Neuroscientist Michael Merzenich, PhD, suggests keeping your brain young and healthy by doing activities that challenge and excite you: playing Ping-Pong, doing jigsaw or crossword puzzles, taking accordion lessons, mastering bonsai technique, or learning a new language. Merzenich says he has “4000 hobbies,” which include a wood shop and a vineyard.12
You may not have 4000 hobbies, but do you have at least four? New adventures are waiting for you.
Thought for Rejuvenation
Make a list of four hobbies you enjoy. You can also include things you want to learn in the future.