Our lives are full of waiting room moments

From care2.com

Time stops for those who are waiting, and I am part of this exclusive club. For now. Until when I no longer have to wait (again).

Good news, bad news. Really, sometimes the result does not matter as much as the agony of uncertainty. Of course, though, good news is always welcomed with both arms open wide. While bad news is shoved to the back. And then the first step forward hurriedly taken.

Different phases in life when we are taken for a ride in that waiting wagon:

> As a toddler, our parents waited for us to roll over on our own for the first time, parents waited to capture that first step. Parents, in general, do a lot of waiting to witness 'first' milestones in their children's lives.

> As a pre-teen, we wait and wait to grow up. Wait until we finish primary school, high school. Waiting to enter university and have that bit of freedom. At school, we wait for summer breaks. Parents' promise of overseas travel, or local beach breaks. Or, we could be waiting to go back to school and see our friends again.

> Just before finishing school, we wait for exam results to see which uni we are starting our 'young adulthood' journey. We wait for the first day we start uni in normal clothes, without having to wear that checkered high school uniform.

> At uni, we are always waiting obsessively for grades to come out after exams and assessments. We are waiting for long and boring lectures to end. We are waiting and counting down the minutes until we see our bf/gf again.

> After finishing our degree, we wait and hope to hear back from 'that' dream company we always wanted to be part of. Finally, landing that dream job, we wait for holiday breaks to just get away from work and unwind.

> Going on a trip? Are we there yet? And we've only just left the house.. It is a wait to get to the destination. A 20 hour plane trip, then a couple of hours car ride to the jetty, oh and a ferry across the lake for half an hour. Finally reaching the island destination, only to catch a 15 minute rickshaw ride to your hideaway for the week?! Must be all worth it!

> Soon after getting serious with our bf, we wait for the moment he will propose. Upon getting engaged, it is the wait for THE wedding day. It can be a quick wait, as with short month long engagements...or an arduous 3 year wait for the BIG date.

> And then of course, waiting to take a pregnancy test when you are trying for a baby is another patience testing pressure point. How many pregnancy tests did you take only to get a big fat Negative??!

Our lives are full of waiting room moments. If we are lucky enough, we can have good lifelong friends waiting with us in that room. Lots of interesting conversations happen while waiting. A lot of virtues can be honed while patiently waiting. They say character is formed at these times. One undergoes a series of cycles, stages.....

First hour waiting.... Still giddy and excited. Still chatting away with your buddy.

Six hours pass..... Shuffling in your seat, bored, anxious, frustrated, tired. Keeping quiet.

Nine hours pass.... Still sitting in the same spot, tipping point, eyes rolling, numerous sighs, snapping at your seatmate. Suddenly everything and everyone is annoying.

Twelve hours pass... You are feeling excited again because you can see signs to your destination now 100 kms left.

Finally, you have arrived your destination. Bliss. No looking back at the long way here. Just soak up the joy. Worth every wait. Hmm....