“The waiting is the hardest part”… remember that song? I have applied for a few things and will probably be waiting for another two or three weeks before notifications are sent. As a child I would stay awake most of Christmas Eve… waiting and waiting… I’d slip out of bed and tiptoe down the hall to see if Santa had come yet. It got so bad that there were several years that my grandparents spent the night with us so they wouldn’t miss us opening our presents. My parents camped out on ’guard duty’ on blankets under the tree. My older brother and I would plan reconnaisance missions for days to try to get a glimpse of the things that had made their way down our chimney. Waiting waiting waiting… I’m not sure what we thought we’d see in total darkness, or why we thought our light-sleeping mother wouldn’t catch us. Mom & Dad would end up giving in and letting us tear into things before the sun came up. It was always worth the wait and even now I can’t sleep on Christmas Eve waiting for those special moments with my husband and children, Mom and Dad, and up until last year my Grandmother. Waiting waiting waiting… now I’m not waiting for toys or new paints or an Easy Bake Oven, I’m waiting for notifications..and it’s no longer one endless, sleepless night- it’s days and days of waiting. If I’m in the house, I can hear the heavy steps of the postman between 11 and noon each day- a Santa in his own right – maybe bringing a check from a gallery, maybe a letter starting with”…we are pleased to announce your acceptance..” or maybe the proverbial lump of coal “…unfortunately, we are unable to inlcude your work.” No word today- but tomorrow’s another day- maybe it’ll be like Christmas..hopefully it’ll be an Easy Bake Oven sorta Christmas.
