4-22-2022

 

Mary’s Minute

What do you want to be when you grow up?

This question often posed to children as early as kindergarten seems simplistic, but I am beginning to really love the question.    I like to think of the it not as one directed at an occupation, but more about who we want to BE as people.  I like to think of responses that are actions and not nouns. 

Think of “be” as all of the actions to which we aspire, and think of “grow” as the notion that no matter how old we are, we are always growing.  In the past few years, even as I near retirement, I have said that I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  Although I may not have another career, as long as I am living, I am growing and seeking to figure out what I who I can be as a person.  

I want to be kind, contributing, adventurous, curious, and brave.  Every day I still am trying to figure out what I want to be and then how to reach that ever-moving pinnacle.  I recognize in experiences that there are actions by people that make me think – I want to be more like that.  I see people exhibiting selfless acts, and think to myself, that is what I want to be.  I see people engaged in intriguing conversations about ideas, and I think that is what I want to be. 

Each day greets me with a new opportunity to embrace the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  The exciting part is that every day, we have the chance to keep growing and striving to BE all we want to BE!

Have a great week!             

 

Mary