Waiting is the Hardest Thing To Do

I have always been an impatient person and most of my family, including my husband,  would attest to that.  When I was a young girl I was so excited to turn 14 so that I could go to youth dances, 16 so that I could drive and date, 18 so that I could go off to college and then turn 20 so that I would feel like a real adult.  One could truly wish their life away and miss out on all the great stuff in between all those milestones.

When my children were little, I loved every minute of their baby years and their toddler years but I certainly looked forward to the time when they would be older and be able to communicate better and really have a relationship with me. One time when my boys were very young I remember wishing and hoping that things could speed up a little bit because I wanted things to get easier and for life to be more pleasant - normal.   

One day when feeling sorry for myself and feeling like I just couldn't hold it together I decided to talk to someone who I knew would have the answers for me.  During our conversation I explained my frustration with the way life was at that moment and how I looked forward to another time down the road when life would be more to my liking.  This wise man said something that I will never forget.  "Becky, stop wishing your life away!  Enjoy where you are right now because you have so much to be thankful for.  One day you will look back at this time as the sweetest time of your life.  Ten years or so from now you will look back and feel completely different."  Of course I disagreed and continued to express my frustration with how things were going.  

I forgot about this conversation shortly after until about 12 years later.  I was sitting in the driveway of our home watching the very same boys, only older, and their sister playing in the driveway.  At that moment it hit me, I longed for those days when they were sweet little babys and I missed their sweet little baby personalities.  I loved where they were right at that moment and loved the relationships that we had built but babies are babies, right?

Fast forward to today.  I LOVE where my kids are right now.  I love the relationship that I have with each one.  I love the fact that all four of them are happy, healthy and thriving in the Gospel.  I am so thankful for their good and kind hearts and that they are trying so hard to find their way in a world that is not always forgiving and has extreme standards to say the least.  Max said it when we were very young and I thought it was a strange way to describe your kids but I now know he was right.  Our children are our greatest investment and he was right.  They are truly the best thing I have ever done - besides marrying Max of course!  And the years of struggle, love, tears, joy, laughter and growth have all been worth it.

We have about two more weeks until the newest little Meng arrives and I'm not sure that I can stand the wait.  Today my cell phone rang and it said that it was Alex so of course the first thing I thought was, could this be it?  Is he calling to tell me they are on their way to the hospital?  Is the baby already here and Alex is just calling to tell us that he arrived and everything is fine?  If not, when will I get that call?  What time of the day will it be and where will I be and after all the excitement, what will I do?  Nothing.  I am in Pennsylvania and they are in Nebraska.  Bummer.  One thing is for sure though.  He is worth the wait!

Stop wishing your life away because one day you are going 

to wish you hadn't wished your whole life away!