Anything and Everything
Note: A friend of mine encouraged me to start publishing some stories I’ve written over time yet kept personal….she’s pushing me a bit outside of my comfort zone. It’s a good push….
written 09.2017
When you ask my 8 year old and 6 year old what they want to be when they grow up, on most days they will answer this question the exact same way. “I want to be anything and everything.”
This is not by coincidence.
As they’ve started asking questions about growing up, about ambitions, I proactively engaged in conversations with them around this topic. And in the process I asked myself many questions too. Does an 8 year old really know what they want to be when they grow up? And why is such a huge part of our identity tied to one role or one title we hold at any given moment in time? Is one descriptor/one word/one title the best measure of a wo/man?
So yeah, I influenced their answer. I explicitly told them that they could be both anything they wanted to be and everything they wanted to be. Because I want them to believe this in their core no matter what the world may try to tell them along the journey. With an unbiased foundation, their potential is limitless.
When I think of words that describe me, my most proud roles include…momma, wife, daughter, sister, engineer, product maker, woman, human.
I can confidently say that being a parent is the hardest, yet most fulfilling role I’ve ever had and will ever have. From the moment our first kid was born, I’ve felt an indescribable sense of responsibility.
Memory: I vividly remember my husband and me arriving home from the hospital in SC, walking into our house with our first born, and sitting him in his Orbit baby carrier on the dining room table. And time……….stood still for a moment. We both took a deep breath, looked at each other and one of us said what the other was thinking, “So, what do we do now?” True story.
Being a parent is an awesome responsibility.
It challenges me in ways beyond measure. It forces me to be more self aware – at times needing to be more self-critical and other times needing to show more self-confidence than I actually feel. I’m hyper-aware that every word, every look, every experience I have with my kids impacts the adults they will become. And I’m a firm believer in leading through humble example.
I definitely haven’t figured out this parenting thing – some days I get it sort of right while other days I feel completely lost. Though, after seeing the world through my children’s eyes, I feel pretty confident that I’ve finally found a solid answer to one of life’s deepest questions. If you were to ask me today what I want to be when I grow up, I’d smile and say “I want to be anything and everything.”
Don’t stop believing...
#BeRelentless
E & A - October 2017 - Lake Sammamish State Park