Someday we won’t ask our children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The question we will ask instead will be, “What kind of miracle are you going to be?” And the world will be better off for it. Maybe I’m biased. I’m sure I am, the more I think about it. When I was a kid, nobody ever asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Nobody knew what to do with me. Not my teachers. Not my parents. ~ Not even me. Maybe no one ever thought I would grow up, so there was no point in trying to figure it out. Now that I’m older— And I’m a bit untethered. And I’m drifting a little. And I’m sort of aimless. My greatest professional ambition is to someday have a row of shamrocks named after me. Other than that goal, I’m just wandering. ~ Wait, no, not wandering. Wandering isn’t a strong enough word for what has become of me. I’m abjectly lost. I never became anything. Now that I’m older, untethered, drifting, lost, and never became anything, I’m so very tempted to badger children into worrying about what they are going to be in twenty years. I know that’s what I’m supposed to do. I’m meant to grey myself over their ACT scores and bloviate at them for blowing a quiz on the War of 1812—because how in the hell are they ever going to become a corporate lawyer if they get a C in history class?! I think I’m meant to fret and yell at them more. But I just can’t. I’m more worried about who they are going to be all the time, rather than what they are going to be doing for 8 hours a day when they’re in their mid-thirties. If forced to choose, I’d rather have a child of mine live as a pauper who is covered in perspective and kindness than an asshole dermatologist who snaps at his waiter and forgets that they’re just a speck of dust living on a bigger speck of dust that is flying through an expanding universe that appears to have no end. The hope is that they land somewhere in between those two options. There’s an elusive intersection where both inner joy and material success meet. I’ve never found it—but I’ll leave them a map made of poetry written on a napkin that should help them begin their search for that sweet spot. As a father of three boys, I’ll mark my grade as a parent by how generous they become, how they treat others, how seriously they won’t take themselves, how much laughter they spread, how they give their hearts to people, and how authentically they live their lives. I know all of that makes me sound like a hands-off parent. Let me try and earn back some credibility with you. I want my kids to value their service to the world more than they do their 401Ks or which all-inclusive resort they’ll visit next. Someday, when my children are gathered around my gravestone, I pray they’ll hold up a caramel-colored glass of Irish whiskey and toast their unsuccessful father who never became something but always worked so hard to be somebody. There’s a difference between the two things. Kids, Don’t be something. Be somebody. Somebody who is kind. Somebody who is merciful. Somebody who is unaffected by the expectations of other people. Somebody who believed in miracles so deeply that they became one themselves. Kids, Just be yourselves. I mean it. Be authentically you. You each have a body that, under its skin, has a caldera of endless light. That once it breaks through, Will shoot forth an - Arc of light that can - Be seen from Venus. Don’t be something. Be more than that. ~ Be the miracle this world needs right now. Be you. Locate the intersection of joy and success. When you find it, please plant a row of shamrocks nearby and name it after me.
Come kick off your 2025 with the exploration of your wild heart!
HeartWrite Retreat in Tuscon! 01/13/2025 to 01/17/2025 HeartWrite is more than just a writing retreat; it’s a journey of discovery and authenticity. Whether you’re a seasoned writer of any genre/form, a storyteller at heart, or simply someone longing to connect more deeply with your own story. This small group retreat offers a unique opportunity to write and share your words/story without fear of judgment.
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And one last thing. A quick secret between just the two of us. My new poetry collection “wonderache” is currently available for pre-order for your Kindle devices. The softcover format will also drop sometime in mid-October.
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Beautifully stated!! As a retired teacher, I would have loved to have had this posted in my classroom. I strove to raise my daughter this way, and I’m so thrilled to say she is living in this magical intersection, and she puts so much good out into the world. ❤️