Through the eyes of a child, everything is magic and full of fun.  Even waiting in a parking lot.

As we waiting for a friend who was running late, my boys had a great time exploring a dirt and weed filled parking-lot island.  They took what could have been 20 minutes of simply waiting (or lots of complaining), and turned it into an outdoor adventure.

My boys gathered pine cones and made little “mousie houses” out of them.  They observed different bugs.  They even caught grasshoppers.

By the time our friend arrived, both of my boys were full of stories about all of the interesting things they had encountered and done while waiting (as well as full of dirt and grass, as seen in the above picture).

As I watched them, I pondered anew how much perspective changes how we approach something.  I knew within moments of our arrival that the person we were meeting was running late.  I could have told my boys, “Bill’s running late.  It’s such a bummer.  We’re going to have to sit and wait.”  With such framing from me, my boys may have grumped and groaned (or they may have chosen to find fun on their own – they often do, setting a wonderful example for me.).

Instead, I said, “Bill’s running a few minutes late.  How about we go for an explore while we’re waiting?”  They were so excited by the prospect of exploring the parking lot, they practically flew out of their car seats.  Then, their enthusiasm for their projects and findings was so contagious, I laughed and enjoyed the time right along with them.

Life is what we make of it.  While we can’t always control our circumstances, we can control how we respond to them.  So when something unexpected comes my way, like a meeting delay, I try to follow the example of my children and find the fun or beauty I would have otherwise walked right past.  Or if I’m alone, I enjoy the unexpected moment of quiet in my day.

In either case, it’s a deliberate decision to choose joy over frustration.  And it feels good.

How do you feel about unexpected delays?