Anticipation

Time is...
Too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice.
But for those who love,
Time is not.
            -- Henry Van Dyke

"The anticipation is dreadful! I hope it lasts!" Said Willy Wonka in the movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - the one starring Gene Wilder, made in 1971. I love that statement. Anticipation can be the savory sauce that gives spice to life.

Unfortunately, it can also be the curdle in your milk. How often have you anticipated an event, say a movie release, and it wasn't what you expected? If you haven't had this experience, wait.

And the problem lies in our imagination and expectation. I have found that the most wonderful anticpation happens when I don't know what to expect - like Christmas. You don't know what you are going to get. You only know what you have given others. In other words, I guess, the best anticipation comes when you give instead of expect to get.

You see, you can always control what you give and to whom you give. You don't have much control over the other side of the equation - what you get and from whom you get it. When you give, you know that even if you are never recognized for your gift (service is often that way), you will feel a wonderful, happy glow inside. You will know that for one brief period of time, you were doing good. You were good.

Can you stand the wait? Is the anticipation getting to you yet? Wait.

Another aspect of anticipation lies in the planning. Spontaneous giving is always wonderful - I fondly remember helping an elderly couple with a flat tire on the highway, but that's another story.

Giving with a plan - mwa ha ha ha ha ha! It's delicious! You choose your target - they don't even know. They are going quietly about their business, caught in a rut. You watch them. Their shoulders are a bit slumped, they seem weary - or not. Maybe they have a spring in their step - it doesn't matter. What matters is that you know something about them that they, themselves don't know. You know that soon, very soon, they will receive a gift.

And the gift doesn't have to be grand or expensive. It can be small and cost nothing. But is is from you. In your mind you ask yourself, "Do I give it anonymously or do I let them know from whence it came?" You ponder, "Do I give it to them in the morning, or in the evening?" Can you feel it? Isn't this fun?

How's your anticipation meter? Mine's going off the chart, and I haven't even started planning yet!

Finally you decide the day and the time. You gather all the resources necessary and....

And....

And...

How's your anticipation meter now?

Quietly, without note or fanfare, you  give. The recipient doesn't even know, as yet, that they have been given a gift! It could be a smile, a cookie, a hug, or just a loving thought. And then the miracle happens!

The miracle of reflection - every emotion that you put into your gift comes back to you, reinvigorated and stronger than when you released it! The anticipation you had is fulfilled and you bask in the glow of reflected warmth and love.