“Many people die at 25, but aren’t buried until they’re 75.”
(Ben Franklin)

It’s graduation season for many of our sons & daughters, which means it’s reflection season for their parents. See, one of the remarkable things that happen as our kids become teens, and our teens become adults, is our own self-investigation. We cannot help it—as they reach ages that marked turning points in our own lives, we automatically revisit our younger selves, and ask certain questions:

—Is my daughter feeling the way I did in 8th grade, scared that everyone was always critiquing her looks?
—Did I study as much in high school as my son is now?
—Is she thinking about her boyfriend they way I did mine? (And doing the same things with him in the basement? Ugh.)
—When did I give up my dream profession for something more “practical?” Is that what he’s doing now, by changing majors in his junior year?

All of these are interesting, but lately I’ve been really curious about that last one. Like the esteemed Mr. Franklin, I see too many people give up their lives when they reach full adulthood. Usually under the guise of giving up what they wanna do, and girding up to do what they have to do.

Good God, please don’t let that happen to our children. Instead, may they continue to dream big and live large. Not with irresponsible expenses, mind you, but rather with incredible experiences. May they have the courage to learn what they really want most, so they can align those pursuits with what they want right now (and vice-versa). May they approach each of their graduations without apprehension, learning to love each new launch.

Finally, may each of us realize that our sons & daughters are not the only ones launching. Each of their milestones is not another nail in our coffin; it’s a chance for us to revisit our selves and revive our own lives.

What do you wanna be when your kids grow up?

Peace begins with pause,