“A
Lesson in Patience”
About 20 years ago I experienced one of the biggest patience lessons
of my life. I had stopped
at the supermarket on my lunch hour, and was happy to find a checkout
line with only one other person ahead of me.
“I can be out of here in minutes!” I thought… but that is
not the way it happened.
I guessed that the woman in front of me was about my age
(as close as I could tell from behind) and she
was the slowest moving person ever!
One at a time she moved items from her cart to the conveyor
belt. She dropped a can,
was confused by a question from the cashier, could not seem to find
the correct change, etc. All
the while my impatience was building as I shifted my weight from one
foot to the other. “Why
do I ALWAYS pick the wrong line?” I thought, as I looked at my watch
again and again. I was
going to be late getting back to the office, and it was HER fault! I
was really building up steam, looking around at the person behind me
with a large sigh and a look on my face that said, “Do you BELIEVE
this?”
And then the woman in front of me turned to look at me.
One look at her face and I knew that she was very, very ill.
“I’m sorry I’m so slow,” she said, “but I just came
from my chemo appointment and my brain is a little foggy.”
“Oh, that’s O.K.,” I replied, “I’m not in a hurry.”
It is difficult to find the words to explain how I felt
at that moment. Twenty
years later as I think of that day I can still feel that feeling in
the pit of my stomach… shame…embarrassment…self-loathing.
Did it really matter that I was going to be a few minutes late
compared to what she was going through?
I remember checking out and walking to my car in a kind
of daze. I got in and sat
behind the steering wheel for a moment, and the tears began to slowly
slide down my cheeks. I
sent off a prayer and an apology to the woman, and realized that the
tears were for me. My eyes
had sent daggers of angry impatience into her back, and for what?
For a few moments of my time?
How sad…
I have thought of that woman so many times through the
years when I see other people huffing and impatient about
“waiting”, sometimes very vocal about their displeasure.
I think of her when I am waiting in other lines, or standing at
a red light, or driving behind the slow driver, or any time my
patience begins to run thin. And
I think to myself, “If this is the worst thing that happens to me
this day, life is really, really good.”
And I smile in gratitude for the lesson in patience I learned
so long ago that helps me today to live calmly in the moment,
appreciating, accepting.
The next time you are feeling impatient, take a couple of
really deep breaths and relax. It
may be a lesson in patience for you, and a reminder to BE in this
moment. It really is all
we have.
Quote
Of The Month
"Adopt the pace of nature:
her secret is patience."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Upcoming Special Events/Classes
Advanced Reiki Training (ART) Class - October 2, 2009
Are you ready to take the next step on your journey?
This class will open you to a higher, stronger frequency of energy and
attune you to the Usui Master Symbol.
Master Class
- October 3 & 4, 2009
Learn how to perform the attunements for all levels of Reiki:
Reiki I, Reiki II, ART and Master
Click Here for Class Details
Hawk Creek Wildlife Center's 22nd Annual
WILD RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
July 25 & 26, August 1 & 2 - 11:00 to 4:00
Medieval Reenactments, A Royal Bird Show, Barn Owl Release,
Jarod Miller of Animal Planet's "Animal Exploration",
Walk with the Eagles, See Endangered Species, Live Music and More!
Visit www.hawkcreek.org
or call 716-652-8646 for more information
East Aurora, NY
Reiki Circle
First Wednesday of Every Month - 7:00 p.m. - Mystic Wolf Healing Arts
Everyone Welcome! Details Here
