Blue Flame

Mum of six, standup comedian and author, Jen Fulwiler, refers to the God-given gifts we all have, that are meant to be shared with the world and bring us energy when we use them, as ‘blue flames’.

As she sat in the empty house that once belonged to her grandparents, now hers as the generations before had passed, she felt surrounded by loss and grief. Not just the loss of family, but also by the losses she’d experienced in this craziest of seasons we’re all continuing to walk through – the loss of income, opportunities and special events to name just a few.

As Jen reflected on the life of her grandfather who was once an incredibly accomplished and successful engineer, but was forced into early retirement at fifty-two years old due to hepatitis, she was incredibly grateful for the fact that he found engineering wasn’t his only blue flame.

For her whole life, Jen knew her grandfather as a ‘chef, the man who always loved us through his cooking. Every major occasion was celebrated by a dinner at his house.’ Even at ninety, he loved nothing more than when his home was filled with the sounds of chatter and tables were spread with the culinary work of his hands.

For Jen it was one of the most beautiful examples she’d ever seen of a blue flame in action, and her grandfather would have missed it entirely if he’d clung to his mission from the past.

Her story got us thinking about blue flames – a lot! Do we know what our blue fame is? Are we sharing it with the world in ways both big and small whenever possible? Have we clung to a mission from the past that means we’re missing our blue flame of today?

Perhaps some of the losses we’re experiencing now will open up a world of opportunity and lead us to an even better life?

Now, perhaps more than ever, it’s time to be curious about what we have to offer the world around us and imagine what’s possible if we were to embrace our blue flame wholeheartedly.