Big Shoes To Fill

Today my daughter graduates from Grade 7! I can't believe it - can she really be that old? It seems like just yesterday I was feeding her really gross baby food (green peas? yuck!) and changing diapers (I was pretty good...once I got the hang of it). All the same, this morning she left the house and I congratulated her on finishing Grade 7 with honours and distinction (she won 7 awards - academic and leadership based).

It got me to thinking though - expectations aside...what kind of shoes is she going to fill? (mind you...she has pretty big feet, so it shouldn't be a problem) I shy away from asking her what she is wanting to be when she grows up because everytime I do she says something silly like - "I want to be a singing archaeologist" - which as you can imagine could be a challenging combination. Nevertheless, as she gets older it is becoming clear that she is making some plans and setting goals for herself - that is what makes me proud! She is creating her own shoes to fill...not the ones that I have made for her - and that's the way it should be.

Ok - now on to the picture. This photo was taken sometime in late 1997 or early 1998 when we were living on Sussex Ave. in Toronto while I was in grad school. She is wearing her mothers shoes (and is a habit that she hasn't quite shaken as I hear discussions all the time about shoe borrowing around the house). On the floor you can see books - which isn't suprising since she is a voracious reader now...going through books like they are nothing. Though I do question her recent facination with vampires and warewolves...whatever happened to the Romans!!??

The years we lived on Sussex were some of the best for us...and while it was graduate student living...meagre bugdgets, long nights at the library and in the lab - it was all worth it.

We all have big shoes to fill - the expectations of our parents, our friends, our children...but most importantly - ourselves. The degree to which we are able to balance all of that and stay sane...is the degree to which we are truly satisfied and productive members of society.

Stay Thirsty....