Every December the 31st, I write. It may only be a short entry, but I write. I write about the year that has passed, look for common threads and themes, and acknowledge areas of growth and change in my life. A collection of each of these end-of-year reflections would make an interesting read. Each one a picture of only a year, a landscape dotted by fading memories, some of their details sliding into oblivion, features washed out as time ticks away. And then there are memories that stand out, bright as day, vivid, pure and clear as though I will still there. These memories stand in the foreground of a beautiful painting. In the distance are simply colours, swirling one into the other, memories blending together, left to dwell in the background. But what is left in the front is familiar. It is just out of our reach, but not out of our hearts.

The ever-present theme of my year was waiting- waiting for answers, waiting for replies, waiting for reconciliation, waiting for clarity, waiting for change, waiting to finish, waiting for results, waiting, waiting, waiting. And I am still waiting for clarity and direction in my life, but I am beginning to understand that waiting has a purpose all on its own.

A good friend pointed out to me that these times of transition, these gap-years,' or periods of seeming aimlessness, are in fact times to marinade.

marinade: flavourings for food before cooking: a liquid or paste made with ingredients such as vinegar, wine, oil, spices, and herbs, in which food is soaked or allowed to stand to give extra flavour and tenderness before cooking.

Interpreted in these terms, waiting is a time of preparation in order to ensure the best possible results. Times without a definable sense of purpose, without progression or a sense of moving forward, might actually be red lights warnings urging you to stop and wait for a better time. These times may also be providing you with the opportunity to gain new experiences that may be used at a later time. In some way or another, these times of marinading are making the end-product that much more exciting and palatable for you.

I have found it helpful to write down my ideas for the future, so that I have goals to work towards when I feel directionless. In times of waiting, I do the necessary research to keep my options open, but dive into new experiences all the same, even if they seem unrelated. At times is it overwhelming, but too often I waste my time allowing my circumstances to control me. Life is too short for unnecessary paralysis!

As I wrote on the last day of 2007,

"As you wait on a job application, a bid on a house, a baby that is expected at any moment, a decision, an important response embrace the excitement in not knowing, continue working towards your goals, live the adventure, rely on what you know to be true, and have confidence that the significant changes in your life are exactly what you need, even if you don't understand them."

Learn more about this author, Andrea Maclean.
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