When I was a kid, I used to get overly excited for the anticipation of future events. Whether this was a trip to the Wisconsin Dells (waterpark), the 7th grade swing dance, a princess themed birthday party or simply a trip to the movies - my stomach would be taken over by butterflies just thinking about how much fun I was going to have at these events. Don’t you remember the paper chain countdown to summer that you used to create with your friends? This is exactly what I’m talking about.
With time, that fluttering anticipation diminished for me - and probably for you as well. Regardless of how excited I was for what was to come, reality seemed to take over (projects needed to be wrapped up, laundry needed to be done, budgets needed to be set) and these anticipated events became easier to wait for and easier to manage my emotions when thinking about. Why is that? Why, as adults, do we allow ourselves to look forward to something, but not with the same butterflies-in-our-tummies, hard-to-fall-asleep, countdown-on-the-calendar excitement? It’s something that seems to leave us with age and we never seem to notice or try to gain back.
Today, this feeling consumed me for the first time in years. It came without warning and without effort. I was working in our collaborative office, looking around at Margot lounging on the couch, laptop in her lap (as it should be) - Jordan fixated on his computer, headphones in, concentration game strong - Ola answering a phone call, all smiles - sun streaming in the windows - sea breeze sneaking through the door as it opens. Damn. Life is good. This feeling of excitement for future events came at a time when I can hardly even imagine what future events are ahead of me. The future is so uncertain for us all right now, but the present is so damn good.
So in come the butterflies, away goes the sleep, and countdowns commence - as the next 361 days are bound to be something special!
