Worth the Wait

Good things come to those who wait.

The moment we have been waiting for has arrived: our local grocery store is now carrying orange flesh melons. We heard about these mouth-watering little beauties from a client last summer and quickly became addicted. The outside looks like honeydew, the inside resembles cantaloupe, and the sweet taste is better than either. They are only in season for a short while, and we’ve been skulking at the supermarket for the last several weeks so we don’t miss them.

Fresh Fruit Fanatics

It’s probably a little weird to admit how excited we get about fresh fruit at our house. Although we eat frozen strawberries year round, we await fresh strawberry season with drooling anticipation. Strawberry season coincides with the beginning of the church softball summer league. I’m not sure if my family plays because they love softball, or because they know I’ll have shortcake waiting when they get home from the game each week.

From strawberries we roll straight into blueberry season. My daughter is our blueberry-picking general. She’s commanded the troops for the past several years to make sure we get enough. Meanwhile, I set my watchdogs on the prowl for peaches. I import the southern gems while waiting for the local crops to come in. It’s the same for cherries, pears, apples and grapes. Love that local harvest; it is totally worth the wait.

Waiting Takes Patience

There is a cliché about good things coming to those who wait. The concept aligns with the adage that patience is a virtue. The idea behind both these phrases is that the fastest or most readily available option might not be the best solution. If we are patient (or can pretend to be patient), the reward for waiting will be greater. In most cases, this is true for several reasons.

The Reasons to Wait

First, we tend to appreciate the things we must wait for. When our desires are too easily satisfied, we forget to be thankful. We take people or things for granted and do not value them sufficiently.

Next, waiting teaches us to be discerning. Imagine you are visiting a theme park that had long wait times for rides. You leverage your perceived enjoyment of the ride against the time you will spend waiting in line, and decide if the wait is worth it. When we have to wait, we tend to choose experiences and items that are more meaningful to us.

Also, quality takes time. Handmade furniture, perfectly ripe fruit, and well-behaved children all require an investment of time to meet their full potential. I am much more willing to wait for something to be done the way I want it than to settle for something “almost as good as” that’s available right now.

Finally, waiting allows us an opportunity to anticipate. For example, our family likes to have our next vacation in mind, even if it’s not on the calendar yet. Knowing we have something special to look forward to brings us joy as we share and plan together. We enjoy the journey for its own sake. The “getting there” is as memorable as the “being there.”

Waiting gives us time to savor.

Do you agree? Share your thoughts below.