My cousin always tells the story of when I was a little girl. People would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I would say, "Joyce." They'd say, "Well, don't you want to be a ballerina, or a movie star, or something exciting"? I would always says the same thing. "I just want to be Joyce."
That's pretty interesting to me as an adult because there have been plenty of times when I thought I wanted to be anything BUT who I am. However, as I've grown older and so much wiser, I realize that I've grown into the person I wanted to be all along.
There have been some rough roads, that's for sure, but the rest stops along the way were just that. Stops. I knew that to reach my destination, I had to get back on that road - rough or smooth - and keep moving forward. Looking back, I can see my footprints that lead me to the Joyce I am today. Without walking that path myself, I couldn't give someone else directions.
Do I want my children to always have a smooth path? I certainly don't wish hardships on them, but I know that if they're going to grow into the person they were meant to be, they're going to have to learn on their own. You can counsel with your children, but my children don't want to be Joyce. They are all beautiful individuals who need to be who THEY are intended to be.
Without a doubt, my family is the most important part of my life. I have three wonderful children who allowed me to grow up with them. I have a supportive husband who doesn't always understand me, but he makes it possible for me to do whatever I want. I have the cutest eight grandchildren you've ever seen.
I love my family and would rather spend my time with them individually or collectively than anyone else. We understand each other. We laugh until sodas squirt through our noses. We cry together. We pray for one another. One daughter lives on the other side of the country, but the miles don't separate us. It wasn't always that way. We've had disagreements that have split our family apart. Maybe that's what makes the sweetness we share now so special.
It's amazing the wisdom I had as a child. Being Joyce is just the best!
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