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Sunday, October 16, 2016

On Waiting, Practicing Patience, and Making Choices

Jean Sexton muses:

I'm only human. I hate waiting as much as the next person. I try to alleviate my boredom by reading, but I cannot get too deeply into the book lest they finally call my name and I miss it. So I read a bit, check on the status, read a bit, check, rinse and repeat until it is my turn.

Honestly, I haven't much in-born patience. I have to work at it. I want things to be done now (including the appointment I am waiting for). Still, I have had a new perspective since last year. I remind myself that my planned surgery took much longer than the schedule allowed. And then there was the emergency surgery where my doctor saved my life. Both of those messed up his schedule, I feel sure. He was either late for the next surgery or appointment. And if things go as normal on that sort of day, the lateness snowballed. Maybe I am that person who is being held up today. Maybe it was so he could help someone else. And I remind myself that if I am patient and don't complain, then I'm not holding anyone up even more.

So I make the choice to practice patience and to wait. I am glad I can drive myself now because for three months, waiting meant that two people at ADB were waiting: me and the person driving me. And I had a lot of appointments. I am choosing to not get upset or to fuss at people who cannot change the fact that things are behind.

The result is that I smile at the person who is helping me and that seems to brighten their day that I am sure is stressful. I feel less stressed myself. And I think that makes the world a little better.