I took my daughter to dinner the other night, in order to succumb to her pleading for “quality time” together. You see, I only see her every minute that she is alive every day, other than school. But she is my needy one, so I go with it. (Yeah, I know I am reinforcing her neediness. But I’d also like to think I am creating a bond that will withstand adolescence. I guess we’ll see…)
So as we were stuffing pasta down our throats, with buttered bread and small talk…I decided our conversation needed to go deeper. These are the moments that could matter. These are the times when our dialogue could have an impact on her life- her values, her goals, her struggles, her dreams.
I looked deep into her carbohydrate-overindulgent eyes and claimed the ultimate question:
“What’s your dream?”
Her eyes first lit up, then she looked confused. Then she appeared to be processing this grandiose inquiry with a quizzical twist of her head…
After a few more bites and moments of deep introspection she answers:
“Well, my dream has always been to be a Bagger at Kroger, or maybe even a Scanner!” She says this with utmost excitement and nervous energy as though she could feel the “plastic or paper” under her skin. She gazes toward the sky with her fantasy playing out in her head. In the grocery store, wearing her uniform, bagging the groceries or reaching to grab the next item to scan.
Cashier or Bagger. Hmmm.
That’s my girl. Reaching for the stars in her own little eight-year old world.
I chuckle.
She wonders why.
I tell her to shoot higher. She has so many gifts and skills, why not open her world to bigger and more profound desires of her heart? I explain that those are great dreams, yet there is so much more to do and explore and investigate.
I share that her career path is unlimited, but her vision is…
I proceed to offer ideas and suggestions.
She then lights up with a newfound thrill and exclaims her real dream.
“I wanna be a superstar, mommy!!!”
Now that’s what I call shooting for the stars.
And with each dinner we share together alone, we will approach this topic and see how it changes through the years and seasons of her life.
This is the joyous journey of a mom with her child. The opportunity to see her dream, and the ability to watch her passions grow.
Bagger/Scanner….Superstar.
Or maybe, somewhere in-between. 🙂
🙂 ! Precious God-given moments together are the best! When I was packing, a couple months ago, I came across one of her adorable baby pictures…and now you are having these kind of talks! Just reminiscing all those special times we had together when you were pregnant & when she was little. Think of you often when I take the little guy for a walk in the Baby Bjorn :)! Can’t you walk any faster :)? Friendship is such a tremendous gift from God hey? Sending you guys lots of love
Oh, how sweet to think of those beautiful memories!!!! If you could see her now…you wouldn’t even recognize her! She’s so so old. And ahhhh those wonderful 18 mile walks!!!! HA! (I could NEVER keep up with you!) But the conversation was always so fulfilling…. 🙂 Wish you were here, for more of both!!!!
ME TOO! Miss you friiend! I think of you almost everytime we go for a walk. I so vividly remember carrying her in the Bjorn and her being fast asleep. I also fondly remember all our mall walks (& having to know where all the bathrooms were :)!) We simply live TOO far apart!
Oh yes….and stopping to buy a mommy belt to hold me up while we cruise the mall at top speed!!! Man, I miss you…. 🙁
What a special night out! How fun, I too cherish my ‘girl time’ with Kelsey, will always be some of my very best memories of life. On one of our recent dates Kelsey told me she wants to work at a dentist office and eat mints and drink coffee all day. But only wants to work there long enough to have enough money to just eat mints and drink coffee. HA! I asked if she wants to be the dentist or the hygenist or what and she said no, she just wants to work in the office and eat her mints and drink coffee. Now that my friend is shooting for the stars!!! I couldn’t be prouder of her unstoppable ambition! Is this progress or regression from when she wanted to be a ‘diamond digger in Ft. Wayne’ when she was 5? Hmmmm….. 🙂
OMG! That is HILARIOUS!!!!! With her intellegence, she could literally do or be ANYTHING! I am soooo gonna support the diamond digger career!!!