Labour of Love

There are many reasons why we choose to do the things we do. Sometimes, it is out of necessity. At some point we have to get food ready, we have to clean up the house, we have to wash the clothes and have to make some money. These things are sometimes called the daily grind because they aren't very exciting but they have to be done.

Then, there are the things that we really enjoy. Almost everyone enjoys a good rest now and then, a moment to take it easy by watching a movie, reading a book, or getting together with some friends. However, there are probably some activities that everyone likes to do that aren't restful at all--things that take a lot of hard work, but aren't hard to do, because we want to do them. They will be different for each person, but everyone can relate to the feeling of working hard on an enjoyable project. When someone is making or doing something because they enjoy it, and not simply out of necessity, or to make money, we call it a labour of love.

There are some businesses that I think must be a labour of love. It is hard to imagine anyone getting filthy rich by owning a chocolate shop, or a used book store, or a store that sells only cat-themed slippers and purses. If the owners didn't also enjoy running the business, or believe in what they were doing, I doubt they would last too long.

Artists of all types often become involved in projects that could be called labours of love. I suppose artists, either amateur or professional, tend to dream big and have all sorts of ideas they would love to one day turn into a reality. For example, a new translation of a poem that has already been translated seventy times is probably a labour of love. A quintet of five trombones performing Bach's Tocata and Fugue also likely falls into that category. Mari's Hawaiian dance class is also a labour of love; I know that she isn't in it for the money.

I hope that everyone is lucky enough to have some free time left over when the daily grind is complete. If you do have the chance to work on something you really enjoy and believe in, you now have an idiom to describe it!