Expectations

Those who know me know I hate to be cold. So the fact that there were a couple of days in the near future that were going to be warm, I was excited. I even took a day off from work so that I could enjoy the warmth. I am the kind of person who when I get something in my head that I want to do I will work to make sure it happens. These warm weathered days that were coming meant that I would be outside. I would exercise outside, I would take my motorcycle out for a spin, I would stand outside and soak up the rays for as long as I could. These warm days are the first ones to show up after a winter that always seems too cold for my liking. I had expectations and they were going to be met!

My bike ride started out well. It was the first one in a little over a year so I did some side streets to get myself acquainted with riding again. It felt good to be on the bike, I had my visor up and the world felt like it was whizzing by me at 40 mph. My first stop was to drop off something for a client. There is something about pulling up to a house and having the occupants not grasping that the rider of the motorcycle is here for them. It’s a bit thrilling in a small sort of way. My next stop was to the clinic to feed the clinic cats. I know what you are thinking “I thought this was your day off?” Yeah it was, but I still had to take care of some of my responsibilities. This is where things didn’t quite go as planned. I was was trying to turn right from a stop sign and I lost my balance and “laid my bike down”. Nothing but my pride was hurt but man it is hard to stand up a 500 pound bike. I got my bike back up right as a guy pulled up to help. Not exactly what I expected but in the end it worked out.

Expectations are weird things sometimes. You think things will go a certain way, you hope that people will act differently, you have the way you think things should go all planned out in your mind but then they don’t end up that way. My hubby had a plan this spring break, he was going to get the kid’s bathroom painted and the floor fixed. He even took two days off from work to get this done. As day three is coming to a close the bathroom is 85% done and as he is working on this project the animals and I are doing our part to stay out of his way. When he gets a plan set in his mind it’s best to let it happen that way. Helping could be harmful to your health. I love my man, and I know this about him and so I do my part to keep him sane. When we were a younger married couple I had different expectations of how we would do projects together. I learned quickly that you help only when asked, you don’t just jump in and expect to know what is needed. This sounds simple enough, but when you think you are a good helper and you’re actually not, it makes for frustration projects.

Life is full of ups and downs, rights and lefts. It really is like riding a roller-coaster. There is a thrill in the ride, there is a joy in the ride especially when you do it with people you love. There is the stomach falling to your knees feeling though that can really make you sick to your stomach. These are the areas in which the expectations of life don’t always go as planned. When on the ride though, you can’t just “skip to the good part”, you have to go through the plunges as well as the twists and turns. Know your people, and know your God and the rest is history. Love and joy go hand in hand. Expect the best but plan for unexpected adventures along the way.

I will have more bike rides in the glorious sun. My hubby will have more projects that he will plan and finish in the way he wants to. Family life will have ebbs and flows like the ocean. Work life will have people who give their all while others don’t give as much. Money will be spent, and food will be eaten, and life will go on. Faith, joy and love will remain steadfast. Life is full of expectations. We all will see them through different lenses. That is what makes us who we are. I may not always like what happens but I know that joy will help keep me strong. Until next time:

Negativity is contagious

Unhappiness is contagious.

Fear is contagious.

But so is happiness.

So is optimism.

So is love and joy.

Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you. And strive to be a reflection of what you want to receive.

Michell C Clark