Dream
Dream

I can be a mother and a wife. I can be a dreamer.~ Kristy from Breath of Sunshine

When my husband trained to run his first marathon, he was never asked: Do the kids miss you?  Who watches the kids for you while you train?  He never heard comments like: Your wife and kids must have sacrificed a lot for you to go for your marathon dream. It seemed a given for Chris to reach for his dreams–to go after his goals.  It was accepted.  But for me, the mother of 4, wife and stay-at-home-mom, those questions and comments were the norm.  Whether it was their intention or not, these questions and comments were designed by nature to be dripping with the undertone:don’t you feel guilty?

I often feel like I have had to put my defenses up, to justify my actions to explain away why I dream big and chase after those dreams. And I shouldn’t.    I hope to raise my children to believe they can dream big.  And I pray my daughters will have the confidence to do so guilt free, without having to worry about the judgments of others, especially, especially other mothers.

I recently heard Kathi Lipp speak and her message was loud and clear: It’s OK to chase your dreams, it’s OK to have goals, even if you are– just a mom.  It’s  OK to be a mom and a dreamer.

And yet I want to be careful with what I’m trying to say.  Because so often I read things or hear from other moms–where in order to feel better about their choices, they have to put down others who make choices different from their own.   I don’t ever want to make someone else feel bad for their choices, even if they are different from mine.

I know for some, placing their dreams on hold is what works best for them, for their souls.  And that is best for their families. Others don’t want to wait, and what’s good for their souls is chasing those dreams in the here and now, and that is what is best for their families.  So I want to be careful, and say with love;  if you choose to wait, it’s because you know what is best for you, it doesn’t make you less of a woman.  If you choose to act, it doesn’t make you selfish or less of a mother.

I’m just a mom.  I spend my day cooking meals, cleaning, driving children to and from school, hosting playdates, kissing and bandaging owies, reading books with a lap full of children, helping with homework, doing laundry, grocery shopping, squeezing in my runs and workouts, taking Baby for walks, worrying: am I doing enough? am I raising them right and good?, combing hair, building legos and building up their spirits, cuddling a child of mine who just needs extra love for no other reason than wanting to be in my arms.  Just a mom who spends her days loving her children, just like any other mom.

And I’m a dreamer.  I have running dreams:  to some day run a 100 mile race (but not now, not even soon…even I place dreams on hold), to cross the finish lines of my first two ultra marathons this year, to get faster.  And other dreams: to raise as much money as I can for lung cancer, to build up MyFitFamily to something worthy of being proud of, to write a book, to one day have my dream job once my children are all in school, to start my own charity.  So many dreams and so many more.  Some I’m chasing now and some have to wait.

And now, I can confidently say: No. I don’t feel guilty. Not at all. Because I don’t want to just tell my children to chase their dreams–I want them to see me doing it.  So they really know how important it is to go after what the heart longs for.  How else will they know that it’s OK to dream big unless I stop apologizing and feeling guilty about chasing my own dreams?  I want them to see that a mommy can set goals and achieve them, just like a daddy can.    I want them to feel confident about their choices–whether they choose to act or choose to wait.

I’m a mother.  And a dreamer.

Also published on MyFitFamily.com.

Dear Readers. Since writing this post I did cross those 50 and 52.4 mile finish lines.  Keep dreaming!

 
 
Seen a lot of slim chicks posting their

workouts on here so I thought I'd join 

the fun
Warning : I will bully every one of you

into daily stretches, plyo drills, crazy 

intervals, lifting heavy weights and 

epic long runs
104 °F.....  As my Grandma says, 

"Marathon training ain't for p*ssies."



Crazy old lady is right.

New Featured eBibs

Today I learned that the average runner spends $1,370 per year...  Always knew I was above average
The 3 ppl that be liking my story no  matter what I post are going on my will
You're doing the best you can.... Which is f*cking embarrassing.
I've come to a point in my life where  i need a stronger word than f*ck
Do crackheads say "I can't get high  today because I'm lazy?" No, they go  make it happen !! Don't be outhustled
Reply with a GIF of how  your last run went
Things i struggle with as a runner:   1. running lol
She's a 10 but she gets EXTREMELY irritable and hostile when she misses  her daily run.  She is me.
Me waiting to see results after a double run, a salad binge, and staying dry for three days
At this point, I feel like being tired is  just my personality
Ok QUESTION of the day: when leaving the house.... does anyone tell their pets they will be home later?
To the 12 people always liking  my posts, y'all want anything from  the gas station?
Me: wow this recovery run really  makes me appreciate the easy days  My mind: destroy him  Me: but–  My mind: I said f*cking destroy him
WARNING: I'm exercising, eating right  and watching my alcohol intake. Which  means I'm sober, I'm cranky and I'm  sore. So proceed with caution
Here's to the wild ones, the misfits, the rebels. To those who've stumbled, made  mistakes, danced on the edge, been too  loud or too quiet. To the ones who've  lost their way, been broken, burned, and bruised. I've been there. Find strengt...
Result Pages: <<    1  2  3  4  5 ...   >>