Monday, April 23, 2007

Kelly Says I Gotta Get Goals!

A few weeks ago Kelly at kellymentology tagged me for a "Gotta Get Goals" meme. Here are the official rules and it has taken me this long to post because I truly put a lot of thought into this. In the end though, I’m afraid I wasn’t able to do it justice.

The rules state that you list and write about the top goals that you have to achieve so you can truly say you have achieved your wildest dreams. Your best, most exclusive, and over-the-top goals.

I went through the long list of goals I have and realized that only two of them meet that criteria. All of my goals save those two are minor goals. When I was diagnosed all the goals I had set for myself just didn’t seem important anymore. Being a better writer, visiting Italy, and things like that just no longer mattered.


So I’m afraid I only have two simple “gotta’ get” goals to share with you and I hope that is okay. Thank you Kelly for tagging me because it made me do a lot of thinking and that is how I realized that it all boiled down to these two goals…

1) Live long enough to see all three of my children grown. I won’t ask for more than that (but you can bet your ass I’ll grab for it!) and seeing my last child reach adulthood would be a fantastic gift. So that means not cancer, or sickness, or any damn bus is allowed to take me any sooner than 15 years!

2) Do my best to help my children become happy, successful (however that pertains to them), and kind adults. I’ve screwed them up so much over the years that I hope they can forgive me and learn from my mistakes. I want them to be everything I never was- educated, strong, independent, and able to live life in the present and not the past.

I hope I can help my daughter become a strong, independent woman that no man will ever even think of hitting or degrading. I hope I can help her one day look in the mirror and just know she is fantastic!

I want to help my sons become honorable, responsible, and loving men. Men who are great fathers, husbands, and friends. Everything I haven’t been able to give them as children. I want to instill fear in them of their mother if they ever put their hands on a woman or degrade her. I want them to be everything all the men in my life never were and I will do my damndest to make sure that happens.

So those are my two goals. Things like going to college, being published in print, visiting Tuscany… all those seem so dim in comparison. I just want to be here for my children in all the ways they need me and finally, finally make them proud of me too.

As for tagging, well I think you know whether or not you’d want to do this so just leave me a comment if you decide to post your own goals so I can come see them. I would love to write something nice about certain people and tag them but the truth is that I know so many amazing people that I can’t just choose a few of them (or even enough to not make this post a page long. Lol). If I read your blog then I think a lot of you and want to thank you for allowing me to read glimpses of your lives.

5 comments:

jafabrit said...

I also had a tough time with this one, not because I don't have goals, but they are icing on the cake goals to me. The biggest and most important goals I am seeing realized already.

I don't like these memes generally, but sometimes they can be fun to read and/or insightful. I like your goals and wish you the best.

Anonymous said...

Hi Jo,
I agree that what you've said is all that matters. I'm glad it was a good experience for you, because like the person commenting above, I'd prefer not to get buried in meme-land. I continue to enjoy reading your blog very much. I think you're amazing.

The Mom said...

I don't remember how I got here, but I'm glad I did.
That was a meme worth reading.

Best wishes to you, Jo.

gilda said...

hi jo. my dad was recently diagnosed with cancer and that really shook me because for the first time in my life i had to imagine how life would be without my dad, and it just felt empty. but i am where i am today because of my parents and all the love the have given me. i cried a bit reading your post, because i could just feel through your words how much you love your kids. i'm sure they'll grow up to be lovely and beautiful men and woman, because hey. they have you as a mum.

love, gilda

Jo said...

Thank you all for the comments and I'm glad I could finally get it finished, Kelly. lol

Gilda, I'm going to email you personally very soon (I've been ill today) but wanted to thank you for your comment.