"When young girls are encouraged to explore what they find interesting, they grow up to be interesting women."

I love, love, love this quote. Even better, I love the woman who said it - Amy Poehler. That's right, it wasn't some great historical figure of late, or some wise political figure. It was someone who has chosen to make a living off of her greatest asset - her sense of humor.

I watch my daughter and I wonder what kind of young lady she will develop into. In a few ways, it's already happening. She loves music, and books. She love bright colors and animals. All of these things clearly bring her joy. One of her greatest personality traits is that she is the silliest baby. When she sits in her high chair, she reminds me of animal on the Muppets, chained to his drum set, shaking his head and going nuts.

She loves peek a boo, and patty cake, but always with her own twist. She's already her own person, and I dream about what kinds of things she'll explore as she gets older. Maybe she'll want to be a princess 7 years in a row for halloween, or maybe she'll want to be a dinosaur. Maybe she'll really love ping pong  (boy would her daddy loooove that!) or maybe she'll want to play soccer like me. Maybe she'll be a bookworm with no interest in sports whatsoever. Maybe she'll come inside each day, covered in mud, with no regard to how dirty she is, or maybe she'll be one of those girls who appreciates a clean hand.

I have four nieces. Two sets of siblings, both the precious offspring of my oldest siblings. All of them could not be more different from each other. Over the almost 10 year span of their cumulative lives, I've watched them go through phases, interests, hobbies. I've seen the ones that pass within a few months, and I've seen the ones that stick. I could tell you with almost certainty that my oldest niece will likely grow up to do something with animals. She has that kind of story - the kind I'll be telling strangers at her college graduation. "She's always loved animals. Since she was a toddler."  Her sister is not as easy to predict. She used to love ballet, but now is really into gymnastics. She loves the color purple, and wearing her hair in a bun. But just because she maybe hasn't (or is just now) finding her passion in life, doesn't mean those early interests won't influence her later in life. She's having a blast with what she loves right now, and that's wonderful to witness.

I'm fortunate that I grew up in a house where my parents told us we could be and do whatever we had interest in doing. They doled out countless amounts of money for soccer, basketball, volleyball, football and cheerleading uniforms. They bought expensive band instruments that collected dust after a matter of a few years of use. My mother saved every poetry book I ever wrote in, and still looks at them. She took me to a young authors conference, which was one of the coolest experiences of my youth. She told me stories of my grandfather that I never got to meet, about how he loved to write just like me. About how he stood for what he believed in, and had a way with words. She helped me to mold my passion for writing, even though we all know that a creative field is one of the hardest to find success in. She and my family will always be some of my biggest fans.

So no matter how fleeting I think a sport or a hobby or an interest my own daughter has will be, I will always encourage her to follow it. You never know when something will stick. Who knows? I could be raising the next J.K. Rowling, or female tennis champ. Or I could be raising the next Tina Fey. A mother can dream, right? :)

Happy Thursday everyone!

Love,
Dominique