I misspelled this word in my 5th grade spelling bee. I’ll never forget it again.

I wanted to share this word earlier this week but I felt so overwhelmingly LOVED, I shared that word first. I patiently awaited the best time to share PATIENT. And so, in my best Rafiki voice from The Lion King,

It is time.

I saw this picture on facebook yesterday, which was breathtakingly relevant.

I used to pray for patience. I wanted to learn how to quietly and calmly wait. It is not an easy skill to learn. But I learned from the best. One of my godmothers taught me one of my first lessons in patience.

She showed me the beauty of shutting up – how simple it is to keep your mouth closed, when you so desperately want to put someone in their place.

She led by example in this too. “Aunt Marcy, why aren’t you talking?” I’d ask with a mischievous grin.

She would simply smile and shake her head.

As and adult I now know what this meant:

It’s better to say nothing at all than to rush into spewing words you cannot take back.

I also learned patience with others. This was an acquired lesson over time that I patiently pieced together from my own experiences:

Relationships cannot be rushed. Careers cannot be forced. We cannot change others, only our expectations of them…

And patience with myself: Instruments cannot be mastered in one sitting. Concertos cannot be perfected with cram-practicing. Watercolor masterpieces are muddied with haste. Binge studying is worthless in the end. Grieving the loss of a parent or the death of a relationship takes …t  i  m  e

Friends, Rome was not built in a day. And nothing in nature blooms all year. Breathe deep. Calm your mind. Soit patient… whatever it is you desire most and wherever it is you want to be – these things will come to you when the time is right.

~OR