What’s your superpower? Mine? Hang on. I just asked the question—give me a second.
It’s not breadmaking. I proudly baked two loaves and tried to gift the second to my neighbors, only to find both houses already had fresh loaves of their own. Like, straight-out-of-the-oven.
It’s not pushups, or weeding, or practicing Spanish, unless “yo hablo like a five-year-old” counts as bilingual.
But wait—I’ve got it.
Waiting. I am a phenomenal waiter.
Not the food-service kind (though I do rock the apron look). I mean the standing-in-line, stuck-in-traffic, stuck-in-limbo kind. The kind of waiting where you sit patiently while your hopes and dreams meander toward you like a sloth on a stroll.
And I’m weirdly good at it.
When the “hurry up and get here already” anxiety flares, I swat it away like a needy mosquito. I get back to waiting. Back to building. Back to the slow, steady hope that one day, the thing I’m waiting for will arrive and blow my mind.
It’s not always positive.
I remember waiting for a best friend. I imagined inside jokes, sleepovers, and that sacred sense of belonging that no one else seemed to offer. It felt…excruciating. For years.
Then came Kristen.
And when I told her about my body insecurities or my panic attacks, she didn’t blink. Her presence softened the weight of those things. Waiting for her was worth it.
Now, I’m waiting for things like…more pool deck furniture (maybe I’ll buy them ten months from now). I’m waiting to graduate from beginner Spanish. I’m waiting for Season 2 of The Last of Us…which won’t drop until, what, 2027?
Here’s the catch:
The worst part of waiting is when you don’t have to anymore.
The thing you’ve been dreaming about arrives, and suddenly—poof—no more anticipation, no more reaching. You have the thing. And it is lovely. But the waiting had a magic of its own.
The hope, the hunger, the almost-there-ness—it’s all part of the joy. And when that’s gone?
That kinda sucks.
So if you ever need someone to wait with you, pick me. I’ll make sure to bring the snacks.
Love, Jaclynn
Going On 40 