Command Joy by Thanking Them for Being Late

Three weeks of Thank Yous! To celebrate the season of Thanksgiving, the next three weeks of Command Joys will be dedicated to things we can be thankful for.

He was an hour late. Then two hours late. Then four hours late. Then I finally decided he was going to be a no show, which seems so obvious now looking back on it. At the time, I wasn’t so sure. This was my BIRTHDAY! I was new in town and hadn’t made a lot of close friends. But I did start dating this one guy and he said he was going to take me out. So I got ready. I spent time picking out the perfect outfit. You know the one. Not too tight but not too loose either -just fit enough to show the curves but not reveal all the goods.

I was excited! This was my first birthday without my Mom. And I wanted all the distractions I could get. So I was so happy and relieved that I had plans!

But then there I was ready.  And I was not okay. With every passing minute, I looked down at my phone and could feel the anger rising and rising. Each minute that went by meant one more minute of my blood pressure increasing. I thought about texting him. I thought about calling him. And then I thought, “No” – he was supposed to be here. He knows he was. I am not going to chase after him.

I was so so so angry. Mad that I wasted my time. Mad that I wasted my makeup. Mad that I wasted an outfit. All for nothing.
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As I continued to pout about being left in my apartment, alone, I realized I didn’t have to sit here. I could still go out! So I did. I took myself out. I went to the restaurant I had planned on going to. I sat right up at the bar. I was super self-conscious at first but after about 30 minutes I started to feel more comfortable. I started chatting with people all around me. And it was so much fun!

It was from this experience that I decided to shift my mindset. Instead of worrying and stressing when other people are late or don’t show, I thank them.

When people are late, you get a chance to work on yourself. To reflect. To brainstorm. To text your friends back. It gives you time. You can sit there and breathe deeply and just be. Meditate. So many options!

Thank you for being late.

Thank you for not showing up.

When they are late or don’t show up, it gives us time to do things on our own. When someone is late to meet me for lunch or brunch, I thank them. If they are 10, 20, 30 minutes late, that means I had more time to be mindful of my breathing. I can think about what I want to focus my next blog post on.
 
So go ahead and be late, it’s great!