One-Minute Writer - Inspiration

Today's One-Minute Writing Prompt: Inspiration

How have you inspired or motivated someone else?

Although I find inspiration and motivation in my hubby and my children, until recently I didn't realize I had the ability to actually inspire someone else.

My youngest daughter has always been talented in my eyes - she's intelligent, beautiful inside and out, has a thirst for knowledge, and enjoys helping others. My hubby and I could not be prouder. But last year, my daughter's talent for creative writing started to peek through.

After forcing this child to endure several years of dance class - both ballet and tap - soccer practice and cheerleading, I quit pushing activities on her and allowed her to be her own person. I always thought a parent was supposed to push a child in order to get them to like things - I realize now I was going about it all wrong.

During junior high, she was not involved in any extracurricular activities and it really bothered me. As a typical mother, I wanted her to be popular with tons of friends; all my daughter wanted was to be herself. I reined myself in and did not criticize her decisions, but it was hard for me, because I thought she was unhappy.

Little did I know, my daughter was happy and she refused to be placed in a mold someone else had already cast. During the summer before her freshman year of high school, she started going to work on the weekends with my hubby at the drive-in. Many nights, she just watched the movies, but there were plenty of nights when she helped out in the concession stand. I started to see my beautiful swan emerging.

When she started high school, she wanted to be on the school newspaper and she became the youngest person in the class. By the middle of her freshman year, she was named Editor of the paper and continued to be Editor through her sophomore year. She also worked every week this past summer at the drive-in, religiously saving half her paycheck in a savings account.

When school started this year, I signed up for a creative writing workshop taught by a local author. Although I have been writing for years, I knew I needed to get out of the house more, so I thought this would be a good thing. To my surprise, my daughter wanted to take the class with me. Since that time, we have completed 3 different writing workshops and are both now a member of our local writing group.

My daughter's creative writing has improved so much and she is in the final countdown for the summer creative writing classes at the Governor's School for the Arts! Again, hubby and I could not be prouder.

I think my daughter and I inspire each other. She has seen me write faithfully, every day, all of her life. And although she is new to creative writing, her thoughts and her pencil see action almost every day now, thanks to some wonderful classes. She wanted to attend these classes as an activity to be with me, but what she found was a new talent we are all nurturing to fruition.