When asked the other day what Ben wanted to be when he was a grownup, he replied, “A rockstar.” Clearly the kids got moves already. “Oh, and a runner,” he added.
I love that we are who we are from the time we are born. There are ways that Ben has been Ben all along… He has always been high energy (kicking his legs and flapping his arms wildly in his baby Bjorn) always averse to food with actual calories, preferring celery and pickles and dry burned toast. He has always been charismatic and lit up from the inside— a real sparkler from day one. In a world where Ben is a sprinter, music is the only thing that can stop him in his tracks. Music and water ground him. The rest of the time we take him to the junior high school track near our house and let him loose running laps.
We asked our students in Mondo Beyondo today what dreams they had when they were ten years old. For most of us, those dreams match our spirit the most. The desire to be a Solid Gold dancer, to write a novel, to heal people. It’s all wired up in us from the beginning.
The trick is to have the courage to believe that whatever you thought was possible then is still possible now.
That those dreams from your ten year old self are still there to show you the way, to call you into being the most alive version of you possible.
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thanks, Andrea. this really helped me today.
a, i so love this! i just heard a quote last week that fits this perfectly. it says it’s never too late to be what you might have been. it’s a george elliot quote. i remember wanting to be a journalist because i wanted to tell others stories so much. it’s just in the last few months that i feel like i am aware enough in my own spirit to know that i still have this need, and it is so big inside me. thank you for sharing. completely touched me.
Thank you for sharing…..as always, your posts inspire me and leave me feeling joyful. I thought I wanted to be a teacher- not something that appeals to me now, but being in the presence of children is magical. Being a full-time mother of three, I think I’ve found my way toward being a teacher without being in a classroom.
I love this. I wanted to be a mama when I was ten and I really believe that I am a good mama now. Not perfect, of course but I love it and I do my best. And I have a wonderful, funny kid to raise.
thank you, andrea. you know, in some ways i have resisted my 10-year-old dreams as not good enough…yet they are still with me, beckoning with their nectar. wish i could be on the journey with you this time…enjoy!
Sometimes listening to my 10year old self is scary and intimidating. Yet I know this dream of mine will be coming true in the most magnificent ways. I will be caring for my child. The first one.
Trusting this desire to be a mom is hard and different. It is what my heart tells me, so it must be true.
Oh! A Solid Gold Dancer! How did you know! ;p
I was right there, too…. Thanks for sharing. Inspiring..Even these comments helped me in ways you could not imagine. Hmmmmmm. not a coincidence.
Thanks for sharing Ben’s rock starness with us – it is so apparent! (And Nico’s adorableness. You have some amazing little beings there.) Take good care…
My youngest is almost 10. She just asked me if she should pursue bring an artist, a contortionist, a singer and a chef, or if she should skip the chef dream because that’s a little too much. Dream big, I say!
I saw that picture and before I read any words, I said, “god, I love that kid.”
I remember when he was growing inside you after your challenging journey I had witnessed on the blog, and you were trying to help me find a way out of the paper bag.
When I see him, I see his wonderful spirit, and I see all the hopes and wishes for a better world.
I have never actually met him but I count him among the treasures of the world. Thanks for sharing his light!!!
my son (3 and a half) announced, unprompted, that when he is a grown up he wants to be an explorer. proud mummy moment….
“It’s all wired up in us from the beginning.”
Sorry I’m a sociologist so I don’t believe this. I think our personalities, our dreams and our desires are highly mutable. That doesn’t mean there’s ‘nothing’ there to start with, I just think that the one constant is change.
While I appreciate the sentiment of appealing back to our earlier selves for insight and guidance, this notion of it all being ‘wired in’ and that we can hunt back to a more authentic past to locate our true dreams doesn’t quite work for me. I know I’m just one voice though and if others are getting a lot out this approach, I think that’s great; I just wanted to put it out there.
All the best.
I love that poster of hearts in your kitchen! Could you let me know who did it? Thanks – and for all of your wisdom too.
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I love that you’ve noticed all this about Ben and that you don’t fight it…you embrace who he is and what he needs. you are a good mama and you remind me to do the same.
xoxo