Have you ever read the book, "Waiting Is Not Easy" by Mo Willems?
In the story, Piggie has a surprise for Gerald the Elephant. The catch is that Gerald has to wait for it. At first, Gerald doesn't mind waiting. However, it doesn't take very long for Gerald to get fed up. He tells Piggie, "Waiting is not easy! Piggie, I want to see your surprise now!"
Piggie doesn't budge.
Gerald moans. He groans. He even walks away ... but he quickly comes back.
As the book comes to an end, Gerald is frustrated. The evening is quickly approaching and Gerald feels like his day has been wasted saying, "We have waited, and waited and waited and waited. And for what?"
Piggie calmly looks to the stars in the sky and says, "For that." Gerald stands in awe of the night sky and quietly admits that it was worth the wait.

Dear reader, at the moment, our world is facing some very difficult challenges. Many of us are working from our homes, waiting for this pandemic to end.
Waiting is hard ...
However, I'd like to suggest that waiting can often lead to good things. Consider the following examples:
It's certainly easy to throw a frozen dinner into the microwave, yet nothing compares to a home cooked meal. My mind thinks of my father-in-law cooking a prime rib roast for hours upon hours at his home. The smell fills the air, making it nearly impossible to wait for supper time. However, once we sit down and begin our meal, it is always worth the wait for that first bite!
Have you ever been on a long road trip? I can remember driving many hours from Alberta to British Columbia to visit my fiancee. The drive seemed to last a lifetime, however, it was always so special when I pulled into the driveway and saw her smiling face!
It is quick and relatively cheap to purchase a bag of carrots from the grocery store. They might taste "okay" but there is no comparison to eating carrots from your garden (especially if there is still a little bit of dirt on them). While it can be hard to wait for the carrots to grow, the payoff is well worth it!
As you can see, waiting has its place in our world. We may not like it in the moment, but there often seems to be a payoff when the waiting is over. Maybe the same will be true for us and our children after this season of life.
I recently came across an article by Jaime Ragsdale titled "What If Instead of Behind These Kids Are Ahead?" In the article, Jaime suggests that our students might actually be "ahead" after this time of social distancing. Consider the following thoughts from the article: What if they enjoy the simple things, like their own backyard and sitting near a window in the quiet. What if they notice the birds and the dates the different flowers emerge, and the calming renewal of a gentle rain shower?

What if they learn the value of eating together as a family and finding the good to share in the small delights of the everyday? What if among these children, a great leader emerges who had the benefit of a slower pace and a simpler life. What is he or she truly learn what really matters in this life? Let’s talk about helping our kids during social distancing. What if they are ahead?
For the full article, click on the following link: https://www.altogethermostly.com/what-if-instead-of-behind-these-kids-are-ahead/
I don't know how long this will last, but maybe waiting isn't so bad after all. Maybe this waiting will remind us about what truly matters. Maybe, just maybe, all of this waiting will be worth it in the end!

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