Tonight at a lazy dinner at Chili’s since mom did not feel like cooking after a long day at work, Elyssa asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up. In a matter of 5 seconds my whole 40 years passed before me and it did take long for me to realize I had never done what I wanted to do when I grew up so I quickly answered “Elyssa – I’m already grown up and I am what I wanted to be – I am your mommy!” She laughed and said “mommy, that’s not a job”. I guess in a sense she is right, I don’t view being her mommy as a “job”- it is more like an everyday adventure. So in all my adult wisdom I decided to turn the tables on her and ask her “Elyssa what do you want to be when you grow up?”- it took her no time at all to answer. No she did not reply as I would have wanted her to and say that she wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer or president of the United States, instead she looked at me with her big blue/hazel/green eyes and said “mommy, I’m going to grow up and be me”. I don’t know how she does it, but for a mere 4 years old she makes the most profound statement. I could not have asked for a better answer. So many of us establish high expectations at a young age trying to determine what it is we will end up being in this thing called life that we never take the time to just “be ourselves”. Our lives are filled with so many complicated issues and expectations that we never just allow ourselves to be “just me”. We put on personalities and adjust our ideas to meet the needs of others and never allow our own personalities to shine. Honestly, I hope that my little girl has the ability to never loose herself in the “mediocrity” of life and the conforming to what society accepts as the “norm”. I do pray that God gives her the strength to stand her ground and do what she is meant to do and not what is expected of her. Of course that all being said, mommy and daddy will still try to convince our little girl that a degree in medicine, law or engineering will never be a bad choice in life- hey we do have to keep her somewhat grounded now don’t we?
