By By Chuck Bodiford Publisher
I am sure that many of you, as I do, have memories of being a child, ready to burst at the seams waiting for a particular event to happen or arrive at that special place. I can think back and remember when I was just a small boy and waited every day for my dad to come home from work. At the time, I didn't know what to call this aching in the pit of my stomach, but now I know this was nothing more than anticipation.
Just as there are some things that never change, that aching in the pit of our stomach never goes away. The only thing that changes are the reasons why we have that pain in the first place. As I grew up, those causes became things other than just waiting on my dad, things like getting my report card, receiving the results of my
drivers' test and waiting for the bus to take me to, not only a place, but a time called 'Boot Camp.'
As parenthood approaches faster and faster for my wife and me, our anticipation grows. What will our first child, a daughter, look like? Will she be healthy? How will it feel to hold her in our arms and are we ready? The difference in this anticipation and when I was a child is the way I handle it.
Where I would've stood at the door watching the clock slowly count by, I am now older and can do something about our anticipation. By preparing for that blessed day to arrive, I can settle some of my anticipation by knowing that we have done everything we could to be prepared for our daughter's arrival. As we travel to the hospital, we can grab the already-packed hospital bag and know that her room is ready and waiting to welcome her home.
As we age, we have a chance to use anticipation to our advantage. We can use the anticipation to remind us of our childhood and be excited about the things that life has to offer.
On the other side of the coin, we can prepare and plan based on our anticipation of certain events. No longer do we have to sit by and wait with our life just happening, but now we can take an active role in our own life and make of it what we will.
Chuck Bodiford is an Atmore native and publisher of the Advance. He may be reached by calling 368-2123 or by email at chuck.bodiford@atmoreadvance.com