Chuck, I gave up on water skiing in high school, and bowling just makes me laugh, in a good way—I'm a strike-or-gutter ball kind of gal. :)

Jeb, I think my husband can really relate to your experience as a kid, and to how that translates for you now, as a parent. I completely agree—it is our responsibility, as parents, to keep an eye out for untapped potential in our kids. Not just the things they're naturally good at, but (as swallner suggests in her comment) the things that give them energy and make them happy and feel fulfilled. I have a natural talent for music, for example, and I enjoy it, but it was never the thing that I felt I was put on this earth to do. I might just have to write a follow up post on this idea of untapped potential. I've started reading Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers," which is very much about this, so there's more to come!

swallner, you nailed it. Too many kids are involved in whatever they're involved in to fulfill their parents' needs. It's really sad. From the sounds of it, you're seeking—and finding—a healthy balance as a parent. (And yes, organized sports are much more organized and intense than they were when I was a kid—another thing that makes me sad about the childhood experience today.)

Jamie, you are too kind. And I have to say, I love it when I can manage to write about parenting without excluding people who aren't parents yet. So many parenting issues relate directly to our own experiences as kids, and too many so-called "mommy blogs" end up feeling too mommy-exclusive. Why is that? (By the way, I mess up as a parent, all the time. I'm gradually learning that being a good parent is a lot about being willing to try and fail sometimes, and try again, always with thoughtfulness and love.)