Question #4: Dreams for the kids

My mom asked:

What are your dreams for your kids? If you were to imagine each of them as 30-somethings, what will they be doing?


We all know what the pat answer is: I want them to be happy. And of course that is true. More than anything I want them to be happy, healthy, faithful, contributing members of society.

But I have thought a little beyond that about what I might hope. Mostly I think about our family dynamic. I hope that I am close with my kids when they are grown, and that they are close to each other. I hope that if they have families of their own, that those new members are a natural extension of our own family.

I hope that I see them often (by the way, that's the purpose of all the OSU brainwashing - we are (not-so-)secretly hoping that they'll want to be Buckeyes, where Brian gets significant tuition reduction for his children and we have our old house for them to live in rent free, then they'll be Central-Ohioans long term! This is a dream, right? A mom can dream?). 

I hope that they have a strong spiritual faith and a heart for others. I hope that their lives have a positive influence on others' lives.

I hope that we sit around and play cards and laugh together, help each other with yard work, that they call and ask me for advice about which car to buy. I hope they still give me hugs.

I hope they have a strong community around them, wherever they are, and that they build positive relationships with others.
I hope they find careers that meet that delicate balance between enjoying what you do and not working yourself to death for the sake of it.

I hope that when trials come, as they surely will, that they will have the tools to cope with it, and the support system to help them through it.

I hope they find others (spouse, friends, co-workers) who appreciate them for the wonderful people they are.
Gosh, is that all? No pressure or anything. I guess we parents have our work cut out for us.