4yrs. old and all that lies ahead.

Star charts. Astro food and space camp. I was infatuated with becoming an astronaut when I was a girl. I used to dream about being shipped off to Florida and winning a trip to space and thereby proving my incredible navigation skills – I’d be rewarded honorary astronaut for life.

It didn’t happen.

This week, my 3 year old will turn 4. In honor of this momentous occasion, we packed our picnic basket and headed to her home away from home, the Zoo. She loves the zoo. Most days at around 10 or 11:00 in the afternoon, I will hear “Mommy, can we go to the zoo today?”. She'll affectionately talk about any animal... or insect whether it be a slimy slug or a fuzzy kitten. And while most girls her age would thumb through an American Girl magazine and get googly eyed over the dolls and accessories, Mackenzie concludes that the item she wants most from it is “Grace”, the dog.

We’ve tried our best to foster her interests. I’d like to think that one day she’ll be a vet, or a zookeeper. Perhaps she’ll be a botanist and make important discoveries that impact millions. I believe in her. But while we all need someone to believe in us, I think there's just some people who are more comfortable in their uniqueness. I admire it so much, I almost envy her for it.

There’s a lot of reasons why we don’t grow up to be our childhood dreams. I don’t own a NASA flight patch. It’s not because I was horrible in math or didn’t have people who believed in me, it’s because my interests changed with time. I’m not sure if Mackenzie will pursue her love for animals and nature. I hope that she will but really, loving her means giving her room to be herself. Even allowing room for her to choose not to do what I think she would be best at! It won’t be easy…. But I trust her.

Why?

Because after her sister finished her dramatic dialogue about what she wants to be when she grows up (ballerinas and cowgirls, center stage and sequins), my aunt turned and asked her. Mackenzie looked about the room and then turned her head downward in thought. I’ll never know what she was thinking, but she lifted her head up and quietly replied: “I just want to be Mackenzie”.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my one and only.