Passing On The Legacy

Josh and I are musicians and it would be such a tragedy if we didn't pass that on to our kids...

...at least that is the pressure that I feel sometimes a lot of times.

But over the course of the past year and a half Josh and I are slowly realizing just how short this life really is, it is a mere vapor, and just how differently God wires each of us.

We want our kids to enjoy the world God has created around them and enjoy the gifts that God has instilled within them, not the skills He has blessed their mom and dad with.

I wouldn't be surprised if Zeke and/or Alethia, and even Cai for that matter, turn into fabulous musicians.  Music runs in their veins.  And if and when they show true interest in this area we will go the next step and find an instrument and begin to sharpen the skill.

But after a year of piano, which she was really pretty good at, we have realized that music just isn't Rainy's thing.  She shows some interest in violin, but her heart is more into dancing, creating with her hands, catching critters, and wanting to grow up and be a beautician.

There is such a fine line between a parents' encouragement to "stick with it" and "work diligently, no matter how tough it can get", with a parents' push to excel in an area that the child simply has no passion in.

It was a real battle when we decided to call it quits with piano.  She enjoyed her teacher and he really was great with her.  But she had no desire or drive to learn the piano, so practicing was an absolute battle almost 100% of the time.

The last thing I want is to be the family that just gives up on every endeavor when the child loses interest, or skip around from one activity to another.

Our goal is to try out different things our children show an interest in and see which one(s) they excel in and then begin to teach them that even the fun things in life can get difficult, but we are to work hard at them as unto the Lord.

When I take that pressure off of myself, and the kids, it frees us all up for the adventure that is sure to come!  I don't want them to live in our shadows and dreams, I want them to see that they can do ANYTHING God leads them to do with the dreams that He himself births in their hearts.