As a kid I was the queen of ‘Oh, I can’t wait until…!’ I was always looking forward to a holiday or event and hoping it would hurry up and get here. One day my Grandma looked me square in the eyes and asked me to quit wishing my life away. I was stunned. It never occured to me I was, in a sense, willing the limited time I have on this planet to pass quickly. As if that weren’t enough, my Grandma offered that wishing my life away was wishing her life away as well. Until she pointed it out, I never considered my time couldn’t pass quickly without everyone else’s doing the same. I never forgot those words. The habit of uttering “I can’t wait until” hasn’t been broken completely. These days it is more of a figure of speech than a true desire for something to hurry up and get here.
Just a little tidbit to think about.
Having kids really puts time into perspective too. It makes you treasure time more.
I used that phrase once when my twins were little… “I can’t wait until they are older, sleeping through the night, out of diapers…..” whenever it was…. and mom said, “Don’t wish their babyhoods away!” I’ve never forgotten that, I have never wished their babyhoods or childhoods away again since.
But, for other things, think it is OK every once in a while to say “I can’t wait.”
For instance “I can’t wait until my mom gets here on Friday! Because…. I can’t wait to spend Chritmas with her–the first time in more than 12 years!”
[Lisa: there’s no way to email you and I wanted to send you an interesting link, so if you want, email me at wirelesslanai at lightspeed dot net. ]