A Word to the Waiting: Living in the Present

Waiting for labor to begin is like waiting for a package to arrive, without a tracking number; you never know when it's going to arrive, yet you spend every day anxiously sitting near the door waiting for it to come.

The days surrounding my due date, August 13, were basically torture! Not because I was having a hard time sleeping, or dealing with serious back pain, or any other typical pregnancy symptoms; the worst part of waiting for Baby Wesley to come was just that: waiting!

I often found myself saying things like, "I can't wait to meet my baby" or "I'll be happy when I finally go into labor". While it's not bad to anticipate and look forward to big events, I realized that while I was awaiting the arrival of my son, I was forgetting to live in the present; I was forgetting to be grateful for the wonderful things that were happening right then!

My due date came and went, with no Baby Wesley to speak of. In fact, I waited 5 days past my due date before things really got going (I'm working on writing up Wesley's birth story right now, so that is forthcoming). But with my new-found realization, I was able to look at my situation with patient eyes and find things to smile about and appreciate while I waited:

• I found happiness in dancing in the kitchen to my Pandora station. 

• I enjoyed having my husband work from home so that he and I could spend more time with one another. 

• I appreciated having time to emotionally prepare for labor, even if I started bawling/going into laughing hysterics after watching What to Expect When You're Expecting on Netflix one day. 

• Our daily walks on sun-drenched days were a delight, especially getting to stop and smell the roses along the way. 

• Matthew and I spent some time playing one of our favorite games, Dominion, during his lunch breaks. 

• Having time to myself, just reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was a luxury! 

• And....amidst the anticipation of becoming parents, Matthew and I were even able to get out on a few last minute dates and dessert runs. 

Even though being patient is a difficult task, I hope we can all learn to find joy in the journey NOW! Eventually, the baby DID come, but it took a few days longer than I had originally anticipated. While I waited, I was able to find joy in living in the present, not just anticipating some future event.

Great advice, Dove chocolate! :) 

I fear that many of us get in this same rut, even if we're not waiting for a baby. We spend so much time thinking "Things will be better when _(fill in the blank)_ happens" or "I'll be happier when _(fill in the blank)_", and forget to say "My life is great just as it is now!" or "I can find joy in the journey, not just the destination".

So, shouldn't we all spend more time focusing on the happy things we have now rather than just waiting on something more to come?

Yes!

My word to those who are waiting (which, in all reality, is all of us--we are always waiting on something) is to live in the present, to stop and smell the roses, and find joy right now. The "baby" will come in its own due time, but the wait will be much more bearable if you find things to appreciate along the way.

Thanks for reading!