Two short lines set up a neat contrast. The speaker describes their parents through what each one wanted. Mom's goal is a respectable, ambitious one: finishing college. Dad's goal, in the second line, is simply mom. The poem turns on that small shift, where an achievement becomes a person.
The tone is light and affectionate. Because "goal" means something you work toward, calling a person a goal makes dad sound like a man on a mission, almost comically single-minded. It's funny, but it's also sweet. The speaker seems to see their father's devotion as something to smile about rather than criticize.
The poem also hints at a bigger story without telling it. We don't know whether dad succeeded, but the speaker's existence suggests he might have. The mood is warm, playful, and a little wistful, like a family story told with a grin.