Waiting a whole life without growing bitter

Some waits last for years: a child who doesn't come, a relative who doesn't change, a prayer that seems to get no answer. And waiting that long can make you bitter. You become skeptical, you stop believing anything will change and you close up. But you can also wait in another way: without closing up, with a simple hope that stays attentive. Many older people live like that, and they hold their families together without making any noise. Waiting in faith keeps the heart open, and that's why it lets you recognize the moment when it comes. Someone who has become bitter, on the other hand, can have what they were waiting for right in front of them and not see it.