I have been a fan of Texas chanteuse Nanci Griffith for about 20 years now. She writes beautiful, poignant songs, and one of her most moving is "Goodnight to a Mother's Dream." It's a testament to why we should live to fulfill our own dreams, rather than the dreams of others.

And the sailors on the water
They all want the captain's daughter
They want her beauty and her youth
To grace their bow out on the sea
Me, I'm getting older
And I'm plain as plain can be
Got a bank full of mother's dreams
Maybe mother just didn't see that love would be the only thing
Her daughter would ever need [...]

Mother, to tell you the truth
I would trade your dream away
Just to hear some loved one say
"I love you, too"

You can hear the whole thing here.

Having been lucky enough to hear two beautiful women say, "I love you, too," I feel truly blessed.