Be Patient With Someone

Love One Another Challenge Day One.

Patience is hard. It is universally seen as a good thing. I used to think I was a patient person. It seems that I am patient in certain areas but the attribute is not completely mine. I am often impatient with my kids. They were very nearly the undoing of me before I had even finished breakfast. The way the challenge is worded it seemed that I should pick one person. I have five kids living at home and two of them are teenagers. We have a dog that is not my favorite. And I don't tolerate well my own shortcomings. I have plenty of choices. Instead of choosing just one I decided to be aware of the times when I felt it necessary to exercise patience.

My youngest daughter wasn't feeling well and stayed home from school this morning. That was the first test of the day. I tend to get testy when my routine is interrupted. Almost before I caught myself I could feel myself getting irritable. I remembered before there where actions or words. I felt impatient and I felt the ridiculousness of my impatience. There wasn't any reason except a minor deviation from my plan. That served as a reminder and a motivator to pay attention. I did. The rest of the day I tried to stay mindful.

When the baby quilt didn't come together as quickly as I planned I did not berate myself. When the unfavored dog was acting particularly unfavorable, I took her for a walk. When the teenager failed to sufficiently plan her work/school balance, I bought her supper. When we were running late and the car in front of us was really, really slow I just breathed and kept moving forward.

Focusing on this attribute has taught me something. I have some ability to remain patient, but not as much as I would like. When I acknowledged that I really don't have it, I felt a tremendous peace. I don't know that I have to be perfectly patient. I want to be, but that will come in time. It is a kindness we owe to those we love and also to ourselves.