Creating Anticipation

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement
Creating Anticipation

 

What a difference the years make in how we see and understand certain things. How many times in my younger years did I miss the opportunity to provide the blessing of anticipation to the older generation? I don’t think I always grasped the fact that the anticipation of something was half the fun. I’m pretty sure I underestimated the happiness a simple phone call could make. I doubt that I had the same outlook on the impact a short visit could bring. Anticipating something delightful is a gift that brings happiness. Be it small or large, something to look forward to enhances our frame of mind and cheers us up. It brings a sort of health to our minds. How can I give this precious gift to someone now? There are expensive ways to give anticipation with fruit of the month clubs or book of the month clubs, but we can make up our own ways to bring a less expensive item of food, or something fun to read, or an in-person visit that we know about ahead of time. It’s the knowing ahead of time that creates delicious anticipation. God help us create happy anticipation in the lives of those around us. We can also create our own anticipation. We can promise ourselves we will initiate some activity that relaxes us or something that we enjoy after we’ve completed a task. For instance, every Monday after the laundry is started, I can promise I will allow myself to read for 30 minutes. Or perhaps after I weed the garden, I’ll indulge in a short visit next door. Everyone can figure out what works best for themselves and is reasonable for your life of duties and responsibilities. Find ways to bring the joy of anticipation to others and ourselves. Best of all is making a thoughtful effort to give others the opportunity to anticipate something pleasant. A promised package in the mail, a promised phone call, an outing, a visit in person or anything that a person can look forward to increases the pleasure. First. the looking ahead brings happy expectation. Second, the actual happening of the fulfilled expectation brings delight. God help us cheer other people’s lives with happy anticipation.