There are too many things to say. And there are far too many things to do.
I've decided that my new life mantra is Andy Warhol's simple epithet: Do Everything.
I told Kevin that I want to live by that mantra my entire life. I want to go to Cairo and Jerusalem. To spend a year in the French countryside. A year in Italy. To raft in Peru (which we are actually going to do over Thanksgiving!)
I want to go to culinary school, and interior design school. I want to get my PHD in Creative Writing and teach at a university. I want to learn to sew and paint and fly fish.
"I want to have a dozen kids," I told Kevin and received two adorable, raised eyebrows in response. Because, well, a dozen is a lot but I want a house full of noisy, sassy, perfect children. I want to be a mom to all of them.
I want to work for a major company. I went to QVC this week and was enthralled by the business model. I want to create that. I want to be an editor. I want to write so many books. I want to open a restaurant. I want to learn to take photographs. I want to learn how to play the cello, and the harp.
I have heard parents limit my piano students. "He didn't practice because..." "This song was too hard for her..." "She can't do it." It makes me so angry the way some of them do it so casually. I often wondered why these parents would limit their kids, instead of pushing them to be better. Instead of expecting excellence.
When I think about it though, I am so quick to limit myself. "I can't do this and have kids..." "I can't go there because of money..." "I'm not talented enough."
But this morning on my carpool to work with Kev, we dreamt up all of the things we could and will do. It's not a matter of if, but when with a husband like him. That might sound blindly optimistic but if I have the choice between limiting or aspiring the answer is so simple. I feel like it has taken my entire life up to this point to realize this basic, essential truth:
We can have exactly what we want.
image via
11 comments:
Oh how I love this post.
LOVE. You took the words right out of my mouth!
xxx
Jenna
yes, yes, all of it yes!! i find i have been limiting myself as well. but mandy, you're right. why should we?! we control what we want to do and who we want to become. we need to believe in ourselves, in our talents, in our abilities, in our dreams. we can do it. "we can have exactly what we want." beautiful. perfect. thank you for this.
"We can have exactly what we want."
Love that too much :) You always have the perfect way of saying things. Love you.
I agree with Katie! Very inspiring. :)
yay! and whne you do all those things you better blog about it! :D
This is perfect. And you simply took the words right out of my mouth - except the dozen kids part. .
This is perfect. And you simply took the words right out of my mouth - except the dozen kids part. .
Julie and I talked about exactly this on Saturday. (I feel like our little book club is filled with kindred spirits.) It's so hard to choose--that's just been the biggest struggle for me. I don't want to have to choose. But you're right, I can have what I want if I want it enough. Thanks for this.
inspiring to say the least!
beautifully said.
Post a Comment