Expectations we all have them whether we admit it or not.

In the beginning those expectations are pretty basic. We expect to be nurtured and our needs met. When we cry we expect to be fed or changed or comforted.

But as we grow older these expectations become increasingly complex. If our expectations are too unrealistic we are met with disappointment and even disillusionment.

As social beings we have expectations of others perhaps even more than we do of ourselves. But what I’ve noticed as I age I find I have fewer expectations of others and if those expectations are not met I find it easier to shrug them off and move on.

But I’ve also found that if I exhibit the behavior I’d like to see in others I’m more likely to have that happen. After all the only person I have any influence over is really just myself. People are neither consistent or predictable so its better to accept them as they are and not as I might want them to be.

After all even the weather can surprise us. We might expect winter to be bitterly cold but sometimes it can have days that are as mild as spring.

I do however have a few expectations. If I plant a petunia seed I expect I’m going to get a petunia and not an oak tree. But sometimes if I fail to label them correctly I can still be taken back by what emerges. I’ve had plants appear in my garden that I’ve never seen before like a eight foot Mexican sunflower instead of a marigold.

So I’m open to whatever life delivers and I keep my expectations to a minimum.