Wishing for the next thing: doesn’t make it come faster, isn’t going to look how you think, and will likely you cause you more anxiety than the first thing.
I think my mother said this to me as a child, or some variation. Shows my ignorance, that it’s takes 35 years for the lesson to sink in. Taught to me by my daughter.
I couldn’t wait for S to start crawling. But she didn’t.
She started cruising first, then crawling.
As she cruised around, I held my breath that she wouldn’t fall or bump her head. I hovered five inches away. My back started to hurt from constantly bending over to catch her. I couldn’t wait for her to get more coordinated.
She did. Then she started cruising faster, holding on less & less to the furniture & walls. Till she was barely touching them. I didn’t anticipate that. Making the falls more likely to hurt. I hovered closer, still hunched over.
So I couldn’t wait for her to just start walking. Her two arms lifted to the sky, holding my hands & saving my back. But with walking, I wouldn’t need to hover or bend again!
This weekend, she gave me a taste.
Instead of lightly touching the wall, she looks me directly in the eye then launches herself off the wall and hopes that she 1) walks or 2) catches herself. All I see if more falling.
This is not what I was expecting.
I’m learning to stop wishing for what is next.