Sweet anticipation......

Yesterday the tension mounted throughout the day while we waited for news on which kid gets which team(s).  I ran down my phone battery checking my mail. 

I sat across from my brother and sister in law who I haven't seen in quite a while and I would grab my phone every few minutes to hit "Refresh" in my mail.  I was a terrible visitor!

And then the email came...."We need more time".......

We had an answer.  Not "the" answer.  But "an" answer.

I felt a sigh of relief.  I could put down my phone and go about the rest of my night.  It was fine by me.

Sometimes you just need an answer.  Good or bad, it's a form of closure.

I think it's good to have to wait sometimes.  It's kind of like a Christmas.  Opening presents is great, but how many times have you opened or peaked at a present, only to be disappointed? 

Wasn't the anticipation, the HOPE of the gift more fun than the reality???

But many of us are used to immediate gratification and we go for it.  The problem with immediate gratification is that there is nothing really earned or learned.....  You just get what you want. 

And then what?

I have stated it many times before; we are living in a society of over privileged and un satisfied children. 

They have everything they want and no appreciation for it other than it's more 'stuff' that they have surrounding them.

The stuff doesn't fill the soul.  Earning it does!!!

I remember one morning that Avery came downstairs wanting breakfast.  She said she wanted eggs.  I told her to help herself.  She said, "I don't know HOW!!"  And she got really upset.

So, I showed her step by step and I stood next to her.

Next thing I knew, this kid was unstoppable!!!  Every morning, she would get up, grab an egg and a pan and get to work.  And as if that wasn't enough, she wanted to be like daddy, so she started trying to flip the egg in the pan!

One morning, Avery flipped her egg and she said, "Where's daddy, I want to show him"  I said, "He's  already at work".  Her face fell sad.  I told her we would video her and send it over.

Talk about pride! She was so proud of herself for her accomplishments that she started making omelets better than the rest of us.

To hand her a plate of eggs means nothing. 

To create and enjoy her eggs is a sense of pride!

See the difference?

They say if you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day; but teach a man to fish, he will eat for life.

We need to teach our children to fish.....

I know it's so much easier to just do it for them, but what is gained from it? 

I remember being in Norway when my nephew was about 3 years old.  He wanted to use a knife to cut an apple.  His dad sat behind him, with his hands over my nephews showing him how to cut the apple.  It didn't take him long to get the hang of it. (not that he was cutting apples every day, but he was more knowledgeable about how to properly use a knife).

My husband wouldn't let the kids near a knife for about 8 years.......Guess who's still cutting their meat???  (love you babe).

My point is basically this.... to earn is to appreciate.
To be given is to covet more stuff.....

Give kids something to be proud of.

When the list comes for their teams, my girls will have earned what they got.  The wait - the sweet anticipation - is good for them.

Yes, I'm a little anxious too, but I have a whole world of other stuff to worry about.

Happy Friday