Like any other parent, I have big hopes for my child.
I hope she puts effort into goals and has the wherewithal to pick herself up and dust herself off when she runs into trouble.
I hope she is independent but knows when to let others care for her. I hope she stands up for what she knows is right and wrong, yet is sympathetic to other people’s circumstances. I hope she has an open mind and a forgiving heart but doesn’t let people walk all over her.
I hope that no matter how old she gets, she keeps a piece of her childhood spirit. I hope that she laughs more than she cries. In short, I hope she is a well-rounded individual.
Big Personality
Izzy has a big personality. She is the first one to comfort someone who is upset. She is the first to do something silly to make you laugh. Even for a 3-year-old, you can see that she is in tune with people’s emotions.
She is funny, she is bossy, she is loud and she knows how to make the “you are freaking kidding me, right?” face. She makes the room feel like it’s filled with 20 kids even if she is the only one there.
Having a big personality is a blessing and a curse. There isn’t a lot of middle ground and quite often you have to find a way to accept that you may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
I think the world has big plans for Izzy and her big personality. I know her father and I will try to guide her as best we can — after all, that’s our job now. Ultimately we want her to find her own path and not feel pressured to fulfill the dreams we were unable to accomplish.
Big Things
I have to admit when I daydream about Izzy’s future, I can’t help but see her doing huge things, hob-nobbing with people that gain a level of success that is unattainable for the average person. People will say, “Gosh, whoever thought of this is one smart cookie.” Or maybe she will touch many lives by simple acts, an everyday super hero walking around disguised as an average person.
Whatever Izzy does in her life, I know we will be proud. I have a lot of hopes for a life that is just getting started. But my biggest hope is that one day, after her father and I are gone, Izzy will look back and be proud of who she is and what she has done.
Also that she finds the Gayle to her Oprah. But no Steadman —that dude is kinda weird.
Kelly Jopson-Brown is a New Castle, DE mom. Read her blog, The Turnip Farmer, at www.TheTurnipFarmer.com or follow her on Twitter @mommabrown08.
