We always talk to kids about what they are going to be when they get bigger. If you ask just about any kid what they want to be, they’ll give you an answer. Even at two or three years old. Have you seen the chalkboards so many moms fill out at the beginning and end of every school year? Yep, they usually have a spot for what the child wants to be when he or she grows up.
As children, we have such high hopes. We dream big. I wanted to be a professional ballerina, like so many other little girls. My four-year-old wants to be a firefighter AND drive all the trucks. In fact, he’s already decided he wants his little brother to be a firefighter with him. He told me the other day he wants five kids and they’ll be firefighters with him.
He’s got it all planned out.
Every time we see a cool new truck on the road, he tells me how he’s going to drive it one day. He asks whether I want him to give me a ride and tells me he’ll teach me how to drive it. He is so sure of everything. So confident.
Somewhere along the way what we want to be turns into what we are going to do to make money. We start planning out of necessity. Things that sounded fun become more and more out of reach. We become more indecisive. There’s more to consider. We lose our confidence.
I went from wanting to be a ballerina to wanting to be a dance teacher to wanting to be a writer to settling on being an editor to wanting any job that would take me until I had kids and stayed home. I always wanted to end up as a stay-at-home-mom, and I love my cute kiddos. But I think the rest of my progression is a bit sad.
I would love to write a book. It’s on my bucket list. A someday dream. I’ve started trying to write it a few times. I feel inadequate. Like I don’t have enough content. Like there isn’t anything I could say that others would care to read. I feel defeated before I even really get started.
I don’t know how I feel about my son being a fireman. It scares me a little. But I think it will be awesome if he follows through on his dreams…whatever they end up being. He is excited about being a fireman. He counts the fire extinguishers when we shop. He points out every fire truck, ambulance, and fire chief’s car. We read fire truck books most days, and he was a fireman for Halloween.
Sometimes he asks me if I want to be a fireman when I grow up. Or if I want to drive a cement truck when I grow up.
When I grow up…
I always thought people in their late 20’s were grown up. It’s strange how I don’t feel grown up but at the same time it catches me off guard when he asks me about what I want to do when I grow up.
I hopefully have many more years of growing up. I think we have kids to help us remember to dream. To imagine. To aspire to be something more.
What have you always wanted to do?
If someone asked you today, no matter what your age is, what you want to be when you grow up, what would you say?
In fact, here you go… What do you want to be when you grow up?
Now, go be it!
