who you want to be

Last week Kenzi told me she was going to grow up to be an artist, Tessa was going to ride horses, Tysen would be a ballerina, and Kaylee a mom. This week Kenzi was considering being a writer or in the "mooovies".

I asked Kaylee what she thought. "I want to fly airplanes," she said, matter of fact.

Kenzi started to cry. "I want to fly airplanes, too," she said.

"It takes two people to fly an airplane," I assured her. "You can both fly the plane."

"I want to be a doctor," Tessa said.

"That's a great thing to want to be," I told her.

"I want to do hair, too," Kaylee said, not wanting to limit herself to being a pilot. "And paint nails."

"That would come in handy in this house," I said.

Tysen then sat on my lap and said, "I want to be married. I am thankful for you and the person who married you... Who married you?" (Doesn't she just melt your heart!)

"The most handsome prince in all the land," I told her.

"You married Daddy?!!" she said in disbelief. (Again, heart melting!)

"I can't marry Daddy," I told her. "He's my brother."

"So I can't marry Kasen because he's my brother," she said. "But I can marry Tessa because she's my sister!" (My heart is a total puddle!)

I want my nieces and nephew to be anything and everything they want to be. Whether they want to marry Daddy or be astronauts, be artists or ride horses or do ballet, be hairdressers one week and doctors the next. As long as they are happy.

"You can do whatever you want sweetheart," I told her.

She hopped off my lap and happily started spinning, her tutu twirling around her, like the ballerina/archaeologist/artist/wife/stylist/writer/teacher/farmer/engineer/athlete she has every right to be.

EMBRACE WHO YOU WANT TO BE.

I am so inspired by people who never let go of being dreamers when it comes to their career. Who don't let age or economy or experience or the world determine who or what they should be. Let us all remember to dream, and be exactly who we want to be.