I have been thinking a lot lately about expectations. Most of us assume great things will happen along our lifespan. We grow up, graduate high school, then college, get married, careers begin, babies are made and parents we become. We have labeled our lives with certain expectations to arrive on our timeline without much thought for curves in the road.
Our society is not one to shed light on misfortune. We are proud, tending to share only the good news. Now when I say the word, share, I mean that we get would get involved, rejoicing with those who rejoice, mourning with those who mourn, bearing each others burdens, kind of sharing. We expect mostly for others to think well of us and to forget the not so good things that show up in life. The expectations are there that we are succeeding in life, we are proud, and good almost always.
What expectations do you have for your life? What happens when your expectations are not met? What is your reaction?
I relate mostly to the expectations of motherhood. I expected that when I decided it was time to stop birth control and get pregnant that it would happen. I never even thought of the possibility of infertility and the years some couples tread through to become pregnant. I expected every appointment to be happy and exciting and take home amazing little images of healthy growing babies. I never thought I would be in line with statistics that one in five women will miscarry their babies. I expected to make it half way in pregnancy for the very special gender ultrasound and leave with dreams and exciting fantasies of princesses or cars and trucks. I never saw it coming that babies in the belly could sit on the fence of life or death. I expected to fill in my baby book with an amazing birth story and all the firsts that come in year number one. I never expected the fear surrounding birth or the sadness in burying my baby.
Isn’t it interesting that we term pregnant women to be “expecting” parents? I hope that someday in a pregnancy I can feel like an “expecting” mother. For today, I am pregnant, 8 weeks, and desperately wishing for the expectations of a first pregnancy and baby to take home. I am happy, excited, prayerful, but not expecting.
Surprise! We are due June 28, 2012
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.” Jeremiah 29:11-14
Our society is not one to shed light on misfortune. We are proud, tending to share only the good news. Now when I say the word, share, I mean that we get would get involved, rejoicing with those who rejoice, mourning with those who mourn, bearing each others burdens, kind of sharing. We expect mostly for others to think well of us and to forget the not so good things that show up in life. The expectations are there that we are succeeding in life, we are proud, and good almost always.
What expectations do you have for your life? What happens when your expectations are not met? What is your reaction?
I relate mostly to the expectations of motherhood. I expected that when I decided it was time to stop birth control and get pregnant that it would happen. I never even thought of the possibility of infertility and the years some couples tread through to become pregnant. I expected every appointment to be happy and exciting and take home amazing little images of healthy growing babies. I never thought I would be in line with statistics that one in five women will miscarry their babies. I expected to make it half way in pregnancy for the very special gender ultrasound and leave with dreams and exciting fantasies of princesses or cars and trucks. I never saw it coming that babies in the belly could sit on the fence of life or death. I expected to fill in my baby book with an amazing birth story and all the firsts that come in year number one. I never expected the fear surrounding birth or the sadness in burying my baby.
Isn’t it interesting that we term pregnant women to be “expecting” parents? I hope that someday in a pregnancy I can feel like an “expecting” mother. For today, I am pregnant, 8 weeks, and desperately wishing for the expectations of a first pregnancy and baby to take home. I am happy, excited, prayerful, but not expecting.
Surprise! We are due June 28, 2012
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.” Jeremiah 29:11-14
RSS Feed