Good things come to those who wait

We had just worked through the busiest period of the shift and were waiting on one more family to declare the rush over. There was a woman juggling 4 toddlers and a preteen. Her husband lingered several meters away from the fussy children. "What can I get you guys?" I asked her.

"A kid's size of Cotton Candy in a cone, please," she said.

I nodded, and got right to scooping. I took the instrument and began measuring out the scoops. I was halfway done when one of the toddlers who had broken free was bouncing up and down beside me. The freezer with the Cotton Candy ice cream is located at the far end of the shop. It's the only freezer in its line. Another freezer is connected at its corner, forming a 90 degree angle in between. This also creates a nice pocket of space in the outside corner. That is where the child was standing. It is also where he began a strange tribe like chant.

"Ooh, ooh, ice cream, ice cream! Me wants ice cream, me wants ice cream, ice cream, ice cream, ice cream!!!" he repeated over and over again.

Kids standing in the outside corner of the freezer isn't a rarity. Usually, I give them a quick smile and let them see what I'm scooping. This time, I averted eye contact and hoped that he would stop.

When I had plopped on the last bit of ice cream, I stood up and passed it to the mother. She smiled and smoothly handed it off to the daughter that she was holding.

The little boy was still standing in the divet. He looked up at his sister receiving the cone, promptly ending his chant.

Good things come to those who wait, little man, and patience is a virtue.