To Play Or Not To Play, That Is The Question

I think my daughter is an amazing singer.  She has more musical talent in one pinky finger than I have in my whole body.  I have always wished that I was musically inclined.  I remember daydreaming as a child about being on stage singing and playing the guitar.  I can guarantee that there is not one person on this earth that would want to buy a ticket to that show. 

I wish she cared that she can sing.  She doesn't.  I have encouraged her to join choir.  No thanks she says.  Does she want to take music lessons of any kind...instruments, voice, etc?  Nope.  It frustrates me.  Why would she not want to show off her talent?  I guess it is easy to forget that as your children get older they have their own identity.  They are no longer just an extension of you.  Their likes and dislikes may not be the same as your likes and dislikes.  They may want different things for themselves than you want for them.

I struggle with that with all my boys too.  As a parent raising kids in a community where sports like soccer, football and baseball are the pulse of existence it only seems natural that my sons would beg to be a part of that.  Their friends are all involved.  Their friends' parents are all involved.  My kids do it because I sign them up, but they certainly don't live and breathe it like their peers.  They would be just as happy if not more happy playing legos or playing in the sandbox.  Ugh!  Why can't they just try harder?  They could be so good at such and such sport if they actually practiced and put some effort into it. 

Then I kick myself and shake out the veil of expectations I hold over my kids.  I am not going to have pop singers or sports savants on my hands.  Why in the world would I be disappointed with that?  Am I just wishing for my kids what I wanted but could not achieve for myself?  Putting onto my kids the weight of my own perceived shortcomings is an awfully heavy burden for them to carry.  Most importantly, it is just not fair to them. 

Why not let them decide what they want for themselves?  God created them as distinct individuals who have a specific purpose in this life.  Why fight that?  Why try and make them something they are not? 

"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us....so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."  Ephesians 2:10

Maybe if I spent more time appreciating the amazing God given talents my kids do have I will realize just how unimportant it is that they don't care if they slide into home plate to score the winning run.  Maybe I will help them to develop the qualities they will need to make a difference.  Maybe I can be their biggest cheerleader by telling them that it's okay to be just who they are.