Living my dreams through my kids

What does it mean to live my dreams through my kids?  Well there are definitely two definitions to this....one: pushing and expecting your kids to be good and even excel at the talents you had growing up, only you push them from a younger age because you didn't have that opportunity, second: seeing that through your children's success you are living dreams and accomplishing all you wish you could have but never had the opportunity or talent to do so.

My personal definition is he second.  I don't want nor do I expect my children to be just like me or my husband.  I look back at my life at times, and I think about all the time and effort I placed on things that never got me anywhere in life.  I mean on a personal level.  Yes I still have those talents, but they didn't take me to anything special.  I have so many goals in life that I could have possibly reached if I had put more effort in the things that really matter to me and my eternal journey.

I will admit I did pretty good with what I set out to do, I enjoyed sports, and made just about every team.  It kept me busy, but I had my head on my shoulders when I was younger so regardless of participating it would not have affected my morals.  I just think back and wonder why I focused so much time when I really didn't intend on becoming a professional athlete.  It was then that I realized I played sports because I was confident in my abilities, and I loved having my parents come and cheer me on.  I was living my dreams for the moment and that is what made them so happy.

My children are all so different but each one has talents that set them apart from each other and other extended family members.  I don't force my kids to play sports because we have good athletes on my husband's or my side of the family.  I don't believe in making my child feel they need to live up to someone elses strengths.  I just love watching them succeed at the things they love and are good at.  My kids are already working for eternal goals because I have let them choose their dreams, and have taught them it's not just the temporal goals they need to focus on.

My daughter is pretty much the exact opposite from me.  She is definitely more of a dancer/beauty pageant type of girl.  Yes I encourage her to be her best at what she is doing, but it is only because I can see at times she hasn't reached her full potential.  It is through her and my sons' adventures that I have found I can live the life I never thought possible. I do at times encourage my children to try many new things, why? Because when I look back, I realize I didn't venture much, I didn't try a lot of new things so I could have had more choices to choose from.  I guess I felt the things I was good at were my only potential.

I am living the dreams I never would have chosen for myself, but through my children I am becoming more than I ever thought possible.  Whether it's watching a sport venue or a dance competition my main goal is to create a good experience for my kids.  I want them to be able to look back at life, just as I do, and be able to see that there was good in the time they put forth.  I want them to see they put in so much time and effort to be the best them that they could be and not think of wasted time, but think of how happy they made their parents each time they enJoyed what they were doing.   I want them to be able to say they chose the sports or dance they performed.  I want them to know it was their dream they were living.

My children are growing fast, and everyday I wonder where the time has gone.  Through my children's dreams I am living up to my personal best because I know I helped create this talented beautiful person...I can find Joy in living my dreams through my children, and not just any dream, the kind that seems so far out of reach....because they are not my dreams, they are my children's.