22 May 2008

What do you want to be when you grow up?

My big girl is great. She tells me all the time that she wants to be a mom. :)

So I'm not looking forward to the day when one of those things I remember vividly from my own childhood starts happening to her: people asking her what she wants to be when she grows up. I never knew what to say to this question when I was little. The only options I knew about were mom and teacher (the latter by virtue of my going to school; my mom stayed home). I remember drawing a picture of myself as a teacher for a classroom assignment along these lines in first or second grade. Mom just didn't seem like a legitimate choice to me--you know, it's not a job. We were supposed to draw a job. I know now that my teacher wouldn't have had a problem with it if I had overcome my authority-pleasing personality and gone with my gut, but that just illustrates my concern. I don't want my daughter to get the impression, like I did, that she'd better have something "real" planned.

Dad and I have quizzed her on this some, and she seems to get it. May she not be as easily confused as I was (and often still am). And may no one say, "But what else do you want to do?"

2 comments:

Reb. Mary said...

I hope I can get myself straightened out before we (DV) someday have a girl(s). Against all I know to be true and right, I still catch myself wondering *what else* I should be doing with my life, besides this mom thing. Sigh.

But they won't be little forever, right? I mean, even if we've still got kids in the house when normal people are coasting to retirement, they'll be a bit more independent?

More sighs. I've been too stuck back on that whole "why did God give women brains anyway" thing lately to safely say more at the moment...I don't think I'm very good company today :P

Dawn said...

My oldest and I talk about this quite a bit, as people at our parish have already started the questioning. I tell her to say, "A superhero!" just to keep everybody happy.

This probably won't work once she's over five feet tall; but then again, it might.

Reb. Mary: God gave you a brain so that you can keep my brain in order. Thanks for that, by the by. :) And things will be so much nicer for those with brains when Jesus brings his kingdom. Just you wait. ;)