As I sit and watch the Olympics I am in awe of the wonderful men and women and their families. The choice to be an athlete, more importantly an Olympic Athlete seems to be a time consuming and all encompassing decision for both the athlete and their family.
The level of commitment, support and drive is unparalleled as they wait for years to be able to compete. Their life takes on the appearance of a full time job. The desire to win and love of the sport help them persevere and push through the tough times.
As a mom I see the emotions of the families and the life that they created so that their children had the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. The financial commitment, constant practice sessions, and emotional support required seem daunting yet immensely rewarding.
AJ does not really get the concept of Olympic Athlete but he likes to watch the people play and the excitement. For him a Fireman, Builder, Baseball Player, Trash Truck Driver, Sports Car Driver, and Soccer Guy top the list of cool fun jobs to have in the future.
He likes to play sports and has often said that he will be a Major League Baseball Guy or Golfer like Tiger Woods when he gets older. I tell him that anything is possible if he continues to learn and practice.
We often sit and play and I ask questions about what he likes or talk about the jobs that the he would like to have. He likes to build with Legos, blocks, and Tinker Toys so we talk about construction work, architecture, and drawing. Right now everything sounds fun to him and he is not going to limit himself to one job when he gets big, he wants to do all of them.
The funny part of talking about getting older, jobs, and the fun stuff that people do is that he often asks me what I want to be when I grow up. At first I laugh and say that I want to be a Mommy and spend time with him. That is the truth but does that mean that I was all grown up now?
I began to think about it, what do I want to be when I grow up and when do I consider myself being grown up? I think that I have been in perpetual growth mode and have never really considered an end to growing.
The question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" can have many answers like in the case of AJ. He can have many phases of grown and be a baseball player, a soccer player, a construction builder and more; why not if growing up takes a lifetime?
I feel like I have gone after what I wanted to be at the moment that I decided. My parents seemed to encourage independence and strong will from the time that I was little. They told me that I could do anything if I wanted to badly enough and tried. I remember going to college and wanting to work in marketing and then 4 years out of college I started a marketing business. Then I decided that I wanted to own a doggie day care, so Joe and I helped to renovate the building and opened the business. As that was growing, Joe and I decided that we were ready for a family and my dream of being a mom came true. Being a mom led to writing and starting a non profit foundation. Writing became a passion and an outlet for me to share with others and the non profit became a way to give back.
Now, AJ is starting preschool and I am once again looking at the elusive question, "What do I want to be when I grow up?" I am happy with where I am, what I have accomplished, and what I am doing, but the question still repeats in the back of my mind.
I love being a mom, I love writing, and I find myself wondering, what else will I love to do in my life; maybe art, maybe another business, maybe more consulting, maybe…who knows?
I hope to be a model for my kids showing them that anything is possible, especially with a job or career. Nothing is too great or too small if you really want it, all that you have to do is believe, try and trust in yourself.
What do you want to be when you grow up can come in the form of a job or a career but
I’ve decided that it is far more than that; what I want to be when I grow up and along the way is happy, laughing and having fun!
Off to make another Mommy Milestone.