Five Minute Friday - Expectation

Here's my weekly link up to The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday prompt.  Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking

*****

Topic: Expectation

There is no way I can write for five minutes on Expectations.  No way.  I couldn't even write a magazine article.  It would have to be a full length book.  Maybe some sort of three volume set. You've been warned.

Because expectation is the real power in the universe.    

Please flex and grab you sword with me while we bellow "By the power of Greyskull...I HAVE THE POWER!" 

image credit

Ok, not Greyskull.  More like the power in My Skull. 

Because expectation is everything. 

Absolutely everything. 

Ok, not everything.   Why do you people argue with me all the time?  I'm sure there is some sort of absolute truth out there somewhere.  Like maybe "I exist."  But after that it's all expectation.  And it all lives inside my own skull.

Will I enjoy my coffee this morning?  Not if I expected that I was going to get another 20 minutes of peace before turkey head wakes up and wants to nurse.  But yes if I remembered that the baby is not a robot (a source of endless frustration to me) and can be expected to wake up at different times each morning and even (shudder) have his own personality and ideas.  Not if I have the expectation that I deserve these five minutes of me time this morning.  But yes if I have the expectation that I am indeed a mother of three wee crazies (and a mother who doesn't even have their father home this weekend) and thus is on call constantly. Turns out my enjoyment doesn't rely on how good the coffee actually is.

Will I love who my kids grow up to be?  Not if I expect them to fit into my mold.  But yes if I can get over that sorta-wish-they-were-robots-I-could-command hangup that I have. 

Will I be an enjoyable wife?  And enjoy being a wife?  Not if I harbor all sorts of expectations about what my husband should be doing (especially since one of those usually turns out to be "and in addition to all that he shouldn't expect anything from me..."). But yes if I can just let him be my friend and do the things I do just because it is good for us that I do, not because I expect praise or thanks. 

Will I have a good day today?  Not if I expect my kids to be grownups. (In particular grownups that are exactly like me.)  But yes if I remember they are kids.  Distractable, energetic, loveable kids who aren't old enough yet to ignore the selfish hollering from their own minds so they can be the selfless angels I want them to be.  And for a real yes I need to also have the expectation that my own mind is going to holler selfishly at me all day so that I can be ready to tell it to shut up.

This is way over 5 minutes.  It took at least three minutes to find the He-man pictures.  But I did warn you.  

Ah, expectations.  How I love you.  How I hate you. How I wish I could always remember that I have the power.  It would make my life so much more pleasant.