waiting

Tysen entertains herself with a pair of
earmuffs while waiting for fireworks
on the 4th of July.

Yesterday I ended up at Walgreens, waiting for a flu shot. (Read EMBRACE HIATUS and EMBRACE GOOD SAMARITANS if you need to know why I wanted a flu shot this year.)

Shortly after I sat down to wait, a woman who reminded me of my grandma sat beside me to also wait for a flu shot. Our seats were extremely close together. We were practically huddling for warmth. So it seemed a bit awkward not to have a conversation.

"I'm traveling next week," I offered. "I thought it would be good to get a flu shot before I go."

"I'm flying in three weeks," she quickly responded. "I made the mistake of not getting a flu shot before I went to Paris and I spent more days in bed than I did enjoying the city. An expensive way to have the flu."

"Where are you going this time?" I asked.

"Just to Hilton Head," she said. "But we're flying. When I went to Turkey there were lots of sick people around me on the plane. But I'd had a flu shot so I didn't get sick. And I took Airborne. I know they say it doesn't really work, but I think it does. And the pharmacist said it couldn't hurt."

"You've been a lot of places," I observed.

"Yes," she sighed. "But no more international travel. I've reached that age."

"Have you traveled everywhere you wanted to?"

"No. I never made it to Australia."

"It's so far," I said.

"It's so far," she agreed.

Rajiv called my name, gave me a flu shot quickly and painlessly, and I said goodbye to my grandma-friend. I left thinking maybe I should add Australia to my bucket list, for her.

We all hate waiting. We want what we want, when we want it. But we would miss so much if we never had to wait.

I'd have missed this conversation with my new grandma-friend if Rajiv had been ready to give me a flu shot the moment I arrived. Sometimes waiting in traffic I get to hear my favorite song on the radio. Waiting for dinner means savoring the smells of what is cooking in anticipation of how good it will taste. Waiting for the right opportunity means not wasting time and heartache on the wrong one. Waiting rooms are fertile ground for interesting conversations, new friendships, or simply being a good example of waiting with patience, gentleness, and love.

EMBRACE WAITING.

Chances are you will have to wait for something or someone today. Instead of getting frustrated over it, embrace it and look for what you would have missed if you didn't have to wait.