There are a lot of things I’m currently counting down to. I count down the weeks until my husband comes home. I count down the weeks left of this pregnancy. I even (gulp) count down the hours until my baby’s bed time.
By these habits alone, you’d think that I had a pretty miserable life, where I’m just desperate to get to the next thing. Nothing could be further from the truth! I love my life! Whenever I’m in a halfway unpleasant situation, though, my mind immediately goes to a time when things will be easier or more comfortable. Ease and comfort are things that I’m reeeeeeeally attracted to, and counting down is a way of escaping the less pleasant.
The thing is, if you’re so busy counting down to the next thing, you miss the beauty of what’s right in front of you. Obviously, I’m not the first to ever present this idea, but it’s striking how guilty I am of ignoring it. Time with Peter by myself until John gets home is a gift. Babies are a gift. Any time with them is a gift. Late nights/ early mornings of caring and feeding and loving are a gift, as are the tough mornings that follow. All are symptoms of and indicators of the biggest gift of all: life.
I often think how much I’m looking forward to when our kids are in school. I’ll get to have uninterrupted time to read and the quiet that I so enjoy. Some day, I will sleep more than a few hours at a time on a regular basis. I can’t wait until they’re older and we can talk about the exciting things they learn in school. Some of that anticipation, I think, is warranted. I was really excited for my son to learn how to talk and now that it’s beginning to happen we’re having so much fun. I’m having a great time talking with him and teaching him new words. How could you not laugh when your one year old points to a Pizza Hut commercial on television and exclaims, “Mmmmm, tasty!”?
Anticipation is a good thing. Looking forward to things is great. But, let’s not let that get in the way of enjoying what’s right in front of us, right now. So much of life is an opportunity for appreciation and love, don’t waste it preparing for the next big thing!
