Patience is a Virtue

maybe good things really do come to those who wait

Remember things your parents used to say to you as a kid?

Look both ways before you cross the street.

Eat your vegetables.

Try your best.

Treat others like you'd want to be treated.

I heard these things too as a kid.

But there's one thing my mom said to me constantly, and if you knew me as a kid, or heck even if you know me now, you'll understand. I can still hear her voice say it.

"Meghan, you need to pray for patience."

I'm guessing as a mom that was her nice way of saying stop being so damn impatient or used that instead of telling me I was driving her absolutely nuts.

Instead, she told me to pray for patience. It was something I clearly needed. It's something that I'm still working on to this day.

There have been times in my life where I wanted something so bad and those were the hardest times to be patient. But I also realize that the things I was the most patient for led me to some of the best things in my life. It wasn't easy. But I didn't have a choice. And so I'd do as my mom said and I'd pray to God for patience.

Depending on what is happening in life, it seems that sometimes I can be very patient and sometimes it's the thing I struggle with the most.

I don't know why this is so hard for me. Sometimes I wonder if it's because the anxiety of waiting for something is too much for me. I'm sure it has to do with my Type A personality and needing to know how everything will turn out.

Maybe my brain works in such a way that when I'm waiting I think of 100 different scenarios, good and bad, that could possibly happen.

Maybe I think the longer I have to wait for something the less likely that something will be waiting for me. That’s a huge fear of mine.

I decided to do some research on patience and see if there was actually any benefit to it. I know it's mentioned in the Bible a lot. I figure anything that is important to God has to have a reason behind it. And as it seems like lately I'm struggling with it more than ever, I'm praying for it now more than ever too.

Apparently, being patient has a lot of benefits according to research done on it. It's always been said it was a virtue— but what if there's actual science to back up the fact that good things actually DO come to those who wait?

In reading all about patience, it turns out practicing patience can lead to better mental health, being a better friend and neighbor, more empathetic, slower to anger, and a multitude of other positive benefits. I've always thought I was a good person. A good friend. A good mom. But maybe patience is the one area I'm lacking and that I could be better at. No one is perfect. We all have things we need to work on to be better.

We live in an instant gratification world we are so used to getting things on demand that we tend to forget the beauty in waiting for the things that were to come. We don't appreciate things or people as much anymore because we don't know what it's like to wait for them. We expect them to be here the second that we want it. But I’m learning that patience isn’t always what WE want. Maybe we have to wait for the universe to work.

I'm trying to reframe my mind in terms of patience in working on it. I keep saying I could have $100 today but what if in six months it's $10,000. Isn't it that much sweeter? Doesn't it make it all worth the wait? Wouldn’t I regret not being patient? Sure, $100 is great, but what if I waited for the payoff? How much better would I feel knowing I waited and it paid off?

I'd like to believe that only the best things happen when we practice patience. If we have to wait anyway, why not wait in a way that makes us better people?

Im trying.

It's hard to break a habit that I've had for 37 years.

So maybe I start with being patient with myself. Allowing myself to work on it while knowing I'll slip up. Accepting where I am.

Because if I can't be patient with myself and getting myself better, how can I expect anyone else to be patient with me?

Most importantly, they say patience always pays. And it usually pays in the best of ways. And for now, knowing that, that's good enough for me.