Article October 2, 2000 Issue

On-the-spot patience

What's the rush?

By Cheryl F. M. Petersen

As an at-home mom I was really looking forward to attending a meeting in California. Don't get me wrong. I loved being with my husband and our daughters, but 48 hours on my own sounded heavenly. Sitting quietly and not being climbed all over by our younger daughter, or having to jump up to do something for the older girl would be so restful.

The short flight to Seattle was fine. I located the gate where my next flight was to take off and sat down. I don't even remember breathing before I heard over the intercom that my flight to California had been delayed three hours. I rolled my eyes and thought I'd better hurry and telephone my friend, who was to pick me up, and tell her about the delay. But then I thought, "No, you don't have to hurry, and you don't have to be upset over the delay. You can be patient."

Patience isn't merely waiting for something to happen. It's actively expressing forgiveness, self-denial; it's helping and thanking others no matter what the outside circumstances might be. As these qualities are expressed, the outcome is a greater peace and calm.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

What I learned while canoeing