This little meme that popped up on facebook made me smile just now.
Then, it got my Monday brain swirling. The sweet human who shared it probably didn't mean it to become a philosophical rant about life and expectations. But it struck me this morning; how many of us won't grow up to be what we thought we'd be when we were little? Quite a few of us, I'll bet.
But how many of us feel badly about that? Or quietly feel a sense of failure or that insidious "well, I must not have given it my all and that's why I'm not [insert expectation]."
One of my favorite things about watching my niece and nephew grow up were those moments when we'd ask them "what does a lion say?" And they'd throw their heads back and ROAR at the top of their little lungs. No fear, no holding back. Just a total embrace of their imagination and the belief that they could become a lion at that moment.
It's not possible for everyone to grow up to be 100% full-time fierce lion, or mighty tiger, or president, or Broadway star. But, I think it's our collective job to help each other NOT take that as failure. To help us all find some satisfaction in what we did grow up to be, and not hold it up to some kind of unreasonable expectation that makes any achievement seem flat.
I'm not advocating for not striving, for not working hard, for not dreaming. I'm just reminding us all that we need to take more pride in what we are at this moment.
Also, to remember that while they may not be our full-time jobs, we have moments of being fierce lions, mighty tigers, presidents of our own personal countries, and Broadway stars (this is what showers and car singing are for, people!) in our daily lives. We have imagination, one of the greatest gifts of all.
And that's why when I get that feeling, I just remember that I helped raise 2 nearly perfect humans who still love their mother and me. That's more than enough