Pulling into the driveway at 4:00 this afternoon, the squawking from this pair of geese captured my attention. I went into the house to find my camera. When I came back out, I discovered that the noise wasn’t from just these two, they were communicating with another pair on a roof two houses over. In addition, there was a single goose in between the two pair who was the loudest of all. The dark clouds seemed part of the story.
I wish you could have heard them! The sound was raucous! It made me laugh to see them stretch their necks and squawk!
This was a marked contrast to what I faced inside the house: the internet was off line. Don’t you just hate twenty-first century technological problems?
I guess that’s where patience should have blossomed inside me.
What I really want to share with you are a few lines from Christine Valters Paintner’s post from the Abbey of the Arts newsletter on March 6, 2016. I found them quite fitting for our discussion:
This seems a little deeper look at patience. It challenges me to honor whatever is happening, no matter how difficult. These words hint that the discomfort may have something to offer.
I don’t know about you , but I like comfort. Stretching myself to appreciate discomfort will be quite a stretch. As much of a stretch as the geese did with their necks!
Does Christine’s take on patience add anything for you? Please email me of go to the comments section and let us know.
Thanks for exploring the mystery – Nicky Mendenhall
4 comments
> On the subject of patience, it seems to be lacking in most of our society most of the time. I have found the the rewards for patience with others sometimes don’t come about for weeks or even months, but when you least expect something to happen, there is the return on your patience investment. I don’t think that is how we think about it for the most part. I want what I want when I want it, and I want it now!!
My title should have been:Do we have to wait for patience?
Thanks Carl. Fun to hear from you1
I am sorry this is late. But this post really had me thinking.
This was a tough week. Between the pain of the frozen shoulder and then on top of that getting flattened by a horrible flu for several days…quite the experience.
I've been priding myself in having increased my patience over the years. Truly, I let so many fewer things bother me. And I do have much, much more patience with other people and situations. It's a world of difference from what it used to be. Which I chalk up to decades of meditation, self observation, and a certain amount of thinking about things (Why AM I getting so upset over this? What is this doing to my quality of life?)
But then enter a megadose of inescapable pain and all of that growth seemed to fly out the window. All I wanted was for the extreme discomfort and physical misery to stop! There was almost nothing else I could think of until it did.
Humbling.
xo
Your old friend, Anon
Your patience was sorely tested – in a literal sense even!
Thanks for sharing with us your struggles – that are our struggles too. There is some truth to the old saying that misery loves company.
Rest and relax and heal. Thanks for sharing
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