Quote by Jodi Picoult
Sometimes parents don't find what they're looking for it their child, so they plant seeds for what they'd like to grow there instead. I've witnessed this with the former hockey player who takes his son out to skate before he can even walk. Or in the mother who gave up her ballet dreams when she married, but now scrapes her daughter's hair into a bun and watched from the wings of the stage. We are not, as you'd expect, orchestrating their lives; we are not even trying for a second chance. We are hoping that if this one thing takes root, it might take up enough light and space to keep something else from developing in our children: the disappointment we've already lived.
Summary
This quote reflects on how parents sometimes project their unfulfilled dreams and aspirations onto their children. Instead of allowing their children to pursue their own interests and passions, parents may try to shape them into what they themselves wish they could have been. The quote suggests that this is not done out of a desire for control or a second chance at life, but rather as a way to protect their children from experiencing the same disappointment and unfulfilled dreams that they have endured. The act of planting these seeds is driven by the hope that the child's success in one area will override any negative feelings they might hold.
By Jodi Picoult