My 12 year old announced this to me a few days ago. It was in passing, probably after he had read a space story or finished creating another flying object with his legos. I smiled. You see… my 12 year old is diagnosed autistic so I was actually fairly surprised he thought about his future and what he might want to be “when he grows up”. But there is whole other thought that comes to me after he announces his career goals.
We own and operate a dairy farm. My husband is following in the footsteps as his father. His father did the same thing (he had a few detours). We have 3 children, so isn’t it assumed that one of our kids will take over the farm when we are done? We talk about it sometimes over dinner or during a trip that for sure involves a cow. Our oldest son and daughter have expressed interest in coming home and assuming the day to day dairy operations (only after college and working for someone else).
I always worry about what my youngest son would do. Typically I worry more about him completing his homework, making his AR Goal in Language Arts, or not eating anything with gluten. But the thought of him not being here every day is something that never entered my mind. I figured the way he loves to “tinker” and build unique things, he would come home and build a self-designed robotic milker or implement some cool flush system not yet created. But a career with NASA?
I guess I will appreciate the gift he gave me that day. The gift that he does have goals, he has dreams, and he does have a future. What a blessing my little Joey has given me.
Dreaming of rockets and trip to Mars.
Of course I meant to write this right at the turn of the new year. When you live on a farm, many things get in the way of the “to do” list. I had the goal to put down in print a few goals I have for 2017 but horrible below freezing temperatures, snow, and a round of the flu managed to completely derail my plan.
