I have a toddler, and I would love for her to love running. I would love for her to follow in my figurative and literal footsteps.
But I would also like her to dance. And sing. And twirl the baton. I would like her to run for office, and change the world. I would like her to compete in pageants and use her singing and dancing talents and her public speaking skills to become Miss America. Oh, and I want her to play an instrument. Maybe she will play the piano, or the flute, or the trumpet like Daddy.
I have high expectations for my little toddler. She will probably not achieve all of those things, and that’s ok, because she will be chasing her own dreams (and crushing them too).
One of my biggest regrets is not getting into running sooner. I am always wondering where I would be if I had dedicated my time to running while in high school, or even college. But at the same time, running was never my passion. I never considered it an option or an interest, because I had never shown that natural spark straight from the womb, and I instead dedicated my time intrinsically through reading and writing, and art.
Sometimes I like to imagine where I would be if I had participated in my first Kids K at 14 months, like Little Miss Gingie.
Sometimes I wonder if I would inherit the love of running if my father had pushed me in a stroller each Wednesday night.
Sometimes I think about writing a book about a person with CMT aspiring to be a runner.
Could I have won a medal in track if I had not quit that first week? Could I have proven them all wrong? I let my imagination run wild with the what ifs and frankly it’s exhausting.
I want my toddler to be a runner. And I want her to chase her dreams. I want to push her to achieve anything her heart leads her to pursue. Because in the end what really matters is not what we could have done, but what we want to do and what we are going to do to achieve those goals. I might have been a better runner. I might have pushed to hard and injured myself. I might not have developed that spark if I had started at a different time in my life. What matters now is that I push myself to reach my current goals, and I inspire my daughter to do the same. We are in charge of our destiny, and the only imagining we should do is not to imagine what would could have done, but what we will do.
Chase your imagination.
