Something To Look Forward To

It typically starts in mid- to late-February in my neck of the woods.

That’s when those first intrepid leaves sprout on my David Austin roses. To me those tender little shoots are signs of life during a mostly dormant time in the garden and the promise of good things to come.

For the next several weeks my roses will continue to leaf out, and then by early April, the first buds will start to show up.

This variety is called ‘The Alnwick Rose’.

That’s when the real waiting game begins…watching the rose buds grow and swell in size until the sepals start to come apart at their seams and reveal the petals enclosed underneath.

Gradually, the petals start to unfurl until the rose bloom is fully opened displaying its plethora of pretty pink petals.

Sigh….

There is a particular kind of joy for me in the watching and waiting for a flower to bloom. It might actually be one of my favorite things about gardening now that I think about it.

The dictionary calls this feeling (or emotion) anticipation.

anticipation (noun) | the act of looking forward (especially: pleasurable expectation)

It turns out that anticipation is something that is hardwired in our brains. According to Psychology Today:

Anticipating future events happens automatically, taking place largely in the oldest part of the brain, the cerebellum. Our minds are wired for anticipation; we evolved to have the capacity to form accurate expectations about the future so we could make better predictions about it. That ability allowed humans to take advantage of experiences that benefit us and avoid ones that would be dangerous, increasing the chance of survival. 

Psychology Today

It turns out, anticipation is really good for our wellbeing by boosting our mood and bringing about feelings of happiness. And in turn, this can help us cope with and respond to everyday stressors with a little more optimism.

But you don’t need to scour the internet for interesting facts about anticipation…you could just ask my dad. A few years ago I was sitting on my parents’ porch talking about life and happiness, and for him it came down to this very thing…

having something to look forward to.

So here’s my question to you … what are you looking forward to?

Now before you start thinking that it has to be something big like a vacation or special event, the good news is that even the simplest things have the power to bring us joy and happiness. A morning walk with your best friend (the four-legged variety totally count here), enjoying a glass of wine at the end of a long week, quiet time for reading the new magazine that came in the mail, going to watch your favorite little leaguer play ball.

In the long run, I think these kinds of simple pleasures are often the most rewarding for a couple of reasons. The first is because they are more sustainable on a regular basis – I mean big vacations fun are always highly anticipated, but what about the other 51 weeks of the year?

The second reason is because simple pleasures are something we can choose and create in our own lives. Like growing and tending roses and looking forward to their first blooms. These are little gifts we can give to our future selves. A radical act of kindness to our souls.

I hope this post encourages you to cultivate some simple pleasures and give yourself something to look forward to. Your soul will thank you.

Love, Kelly