Have you ever wanted something so bad that you couldn't wait to get it? Everyone is telling you to be patient. The big day arrives, yes! Noooooooo! You discover this was not what you wanted or needed, matter of fact, why did you waste your time and energy wanting it to begin with. Is patience a virtue or a hinderance...

I remember being an inquisitive and impatient child.  The world filled with wants, never materialized as quickly as I would have liked them to.  I wanted what I wanted, yesterday!   Patience, was one of those words that illicited anger and was incomprehensible.  Phrases like, " patience is a virtue" or " all good things come with time" filled my heart with dread.

All the grown folks that I knew thrived off this word.  Since children were to be seen and not heard, all I could do was silently think about how much I resented being told "No!" or "Wait!".  In my mind, if I could, I would tell those adults a thing or two about the infamous word...Patience!  After all, they were shining examples in the art of patience.  Always rushing around frazzled, late for this or that.  Be be patient!  Once in the car, yelling at the other cars for not driving fast enough.  So very patient, they were.  Where was patience when I had an important question that needed an immediate response...Be patient!  Not now I'm in the middle of something.  Food for thought...but not really the kind of patience I'm exploring today.

As days and years passed patience tagged along like a nagging headache.  One step behind, right by my side, or two steps ahead it clung to me like super glue.  Time and time again things that I wanted would take their own sweet time to materialize or worse would never materialize.  Emotional tirades filled with anger, fussing and yes, cussing accomplished absolutely nothing.  I even prayed, yes, prayed for what I wanted.  Still, nothing, nada, zilch at least not when I wanted what I wanted.

A few years ago, in the midst of a spring cleaning frenzy, the light of understanding proudly shined throughout my brain crevices.  I realized that the majority of situations I had no patience for revolved around something that I wanted.  When I needed something a solution was found in the nick of time.  Wants verses needs, Wow!  What a concept!  Suddenly, patience became a friend an important life tool.  I began to see how everything you wanted was not always in your best interest.  Being patient could save you from experiencing pain, misery, regrets it could even save your life!

It took years and years of resenting patience to finally discover the wisdom my elders had tried to impart.  Patience was truly a virtue and all good things do come in time.  I now find myself repeating the same mantra of patience that was given to me.  Patience...not a foe anymore, pearls of wisdom.  Patience!