The Waiting Place

In one of my most favourite books in the world, philosopher Dr Seuss talks of many places you will journey to in your life - and how to deal with them. "Oh, the Places You'll Go" was the last book he wrote and illustrated, and I often give it to people who are moving, or changing jobs, or leaving school. (Or, starting out in life).

This year, I have often thought about a particular part of the book.

Here's an excerpt .... for those of us in the world of IF/IVF world, it's especially poignant. If you're waiting to POAS, or waiting to get the green light to start treatment. If you're waiting for AF, your doctors appointment, or an FET. Waiting to miscarry. Waiting to try again after a loss. Waiting for your husband, partner. Waiting for your first scan, with everything you've got riding on seeing the heartbeat. Waiting to stop worrying. Waiting to feel normal again. Waiting to feel something. Waiting to get off this rollercoaster. Waiting to finally meet your baby. Waiting your turn, as everyone around you is getting BFPs. Waiting. Waiting for the green light. Waiting to become a mother. Waiting for the pain to stop ....

... this is for you. I wish you Boom Bands.

"You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place ...

The Waiting Place ...
... for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky!"

(Two more sleeps until I can stop waiting for my first scan.)

Psssst - have you heard Vons WONDERFUL NEWS????