Patience... My Elusive Virtue

It has been said that patience is a virtue, and it is something I keep chasing. When I drive, I try to be patient most especially if I have someone else in the car with me! I figure that there is no reason to cause other drivers frustration so I let them go ahead of me or wait for someone to pass before I turn into traffic. These days we can't be sure that the other drivers won't have a case of road rage and hurt us. I won't say I don't get frustrated by people who cannot be patient themselves, but that is another story! Another place I find my patience tested is in my garden. I like to inspect the garden growth almost daily, and I find myself a little exasperated because things aren't where I am ready for them to be. It reminds me of one of my favorite children's books, Leo the Late Bloomer by Richard Kraus. Leo takes a little longer to do the things his friends and classmates are doing. His dad watches him constantly, and it just seems like Leo will never "bloom!" His wife tells him that a watched bloomer never "blooms." So I have to remind myself that a watched garden will seem to take longer to bloom and produce fruit. It is still fun to discover new happenings in the garden . Everything has a time and place. What a heavy dose of advice that I often need reminding of!

My sons have decided to bypass college/university life for now. One is a cosmetologist who has launched his business at 21 years old. He works tirelessly as he is the boss, bookkeeper, hair stylist, content creator, web designer for his own site, etc. He has learned so much from his training at Aveda school, earning his state license to practice and then taking a business class that gave him the courage to launch his own business. Continued learning gives him the knowledge he needs to grow his business and become as successful as he wants to be. I am very proud of him.

My other son finished high school and decided to take a year off and work. He took a job at a photo center and made some wonderful connections with people in the field of photojournalism. When that business closed, he found himself looking for a job. He was able to land one at a camera store. He has daily contact with photographers and has the benefit of of building his tools (cameras and then some!) so that he can work as a freelance photojournalist. He has done one job where his work has been published and he has been able to assist some well known photographers on different assignments. He, too, is constantly learning from videos, podcasts, in person classes, other photographers, etc. I am also very proud of him.

I think my impatience or feeling of uneasiness comes from the concern of them being self sufficient when I am no longer around. I know that it is my worry that causes the impatience. The intellectual part of my brain knows that a college degree doesn't guarantee that one will be self sufficient as we see many college graduates struggling to find jobs in their field of study. It just seems like one would have a better chance at a job that can help sustain themselves. That may be more my generation's thinking. Who knows? I say the intellectual part of me understands that everyone finds their way, and that everyone deserves the opportunity to do what works for them. I know that it is the emotional part of me that struggles like Leo's dad or the gardener I am when I want things to hurry up and grow! I also know that I am a flawed human who doesn't always get things right. I hope my sons (and my daughter) know that I am proud of them no matter what. It pleases me to see them interact with each other as young adults.I guess I can count that as a blessing that came as I wasn't watching! One message I hope they always remember is that they are all they have—each other.

I know I have learned many lessons from my kids. They are pretty amazing people! Here's to their mom continuing to work on her patience and her trust that God will take care of them when I no longer can.