The waiting is the hardest part
Waiting. I think over the past six months we have all had more than our share of waiting. We wait for the day when we can once again move freely about our planet. We await a day when masks are no longer an essential part of our wardrobe. We waited for months for hair cutteries to reopen so we could literally shed our shaggy looks. We waited. And waited. Six months later, we are still waiting. Waiting for restaurants to reopen. Waiting for a vaccine, for successful treatments and or the virus to go away. Waiting.
Frustrating? Absolutely. I share your frustration. Annoying? Certainly. Inconvenient? Sure. But today was an eye-opener for me. I was called to drive my 2-year-old grandson to the emergency room at Children’s Hospital. As I write this, I am waiting. Only this time, it’s not just an inconvenience. This is the heart-wrenching waiting of a grandmother, awaiting news in a pediatric hospital.
It certainly minimizes all the other “waits” in my life. I know many of you understand this kind of waiting. Left to our imaginations, we wonder what to do in the worst-case scenario, all the while praying for the best case. My wait was filled with prayer and positive thoughts in hopes of conquering my fear and worry. And that’s when it hit me – we are given waiting time for a reason. We are forced into “downtime” and must choose how we use it. As you can see, I chose to write. To me, that is calming and a good use of my time.
So, how do you choose to spend YOUR wait time? There are many ways to do this. Remember, life does NOT have a reset button. Time spent lamenting, fearing or ruminating does nothing to enhance your life. I know it can be hard, this waiting. Try to focus on positive outcomes, and a conclusion to this pandemic, for your peace of mind. I like to think that by next summer, I’ll be back on my beloved beaches of North Carolina with my entire family, free to enjoy the area with no fear of illness. It’s a goal, it’s the treasure for which I’ll strive. That is my “happy place.” What’s yours? Think of it often to keep spirits up.
But, what about this mandatory downtime? You can choose to use it wisely. Pick a project, a hobby or a task and work on it daily. The satisfaction you’ll feel by working towards a short-term goal is a wonderful feeling. My mother, at age 86, decided to learn a new language. The sky is the limit.
I am happy to report that my grandson did NOT have the worst-case scenario and indeed, we are hopeful that his situation will remain under control, maybe even eventually resolve itself. He’s a happy, active little boy and just needs to be monitored. Best-case scenario. My time spent in prayer and positivity paid off. Time very well spent.
You know by now that I love to quote movies. Indiana Jones is a personal favorite character of mine and in the third movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989), when there is a choice to be made, one between life and death, the ancient knight tells Indy, “You have chosen wisely.” I like to live my life that way. At the end of the day, I can tell myself “I have chosen wisely” when it comes to how I spent the day.
Each morning when you arise, think of each day as a gift, as a clean slate on which you can write anything you want. Fill your slate with good things, with kind gestures or time spent in ways that will enhance your life. When you go back each night and “read” what’s on your slate, I hope it makes you smile. That’s time well spent. May you find ways to spend this time that bring you happiness. It is your choice. Choose wisely.