Great Expectations

ex-pec-ta-tion [ek-spek-tey-shuhn]    noun

1.	the act or the state of expecting: to wait in expectation.

2.	the act or state of looking forward or anticipating.

3.	an expectant mental attitude: a high pitch of expectation.

4.	something expected; a thing looked forward to.

5.	Often, expectations. a prospect of future good or profit: to have great expectations.

6.	the degree of probability that something will occur: There is little expectation that he will come.

After being married for about fifteen minutes, both Rick and I figured out that we had some post-marital expectations.  He expected that we would be buying crunchy peanut butter, but I’m a Skippy smooth girl to the core.  I expected Rick to pop out of bed on Sunday mornings and make yummy breakfasts of scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes shaped in my initials just like my Daddy did, but Rick sleeps in as long as possible on Sundays.  Rick expected his wife to go to every single hockey game like his Mommy did, but I have other things to do sometimes.  I expected hotel vacations, but Rick brought a tent and two sleeping bags into this marriage.  Rick expected to have his socks folded into long tubes, but I made sock balls… until I was retrained.

Expectations. We all have ’em.  Sometimes, however, we must realize that we have unrealistic expectations, not only for our spouse and kids, but for ourselves.  I have such lofty expectations for myself as a homeschool mom… they will never be attained.  But I’d rather aim high than not aim at all.  Shoot at nothing and you’ll hit it every time.

Expectations bring a sense of excitement for me.  I have two ribbon markers in my day timer…. a crimson one for this week and a golden one for the next happy time I’m expecting.  I love watching the ribbons slowly get closer together!  I just passed one such occasion with my scrapbooking retreat in Feb.  Now the golden ribbon is April 3rd, my book deadline.  Can’t wait til the work is DONE!  Get this monkey off my back.  Don’t get me wrong, I love writing.  I thrive on having a goal.  But I am elated to have mornings when I awake to no responsibility.  A blank day stretched out in front of me with endless possibilities…. and the only expectation is a good book and a bubble bath.  Ahhhh.