instead of patiently waiting, be actively watching.
This past winter may not have been the snowiest, but it certainly feels as though it’s been one of the coldest and longest. It’s been too cold (for me) to enjoy the waking up of nature even now that it’s April. Yesterday I thought it might be warm enough to enjoy being outdoors at last without cringing, but we were struck by howling gale-force winds which drove me back to shelter. I’m not patient, and I’m getting impatient for the colors and warmth of spring. So how can I slow down and appreciate this last bit of wintriness and exhausting cold? I realized this morning that being patient doesn’t have to mean feeling resigned, stoical, long-suffering. It can also mean experiencing a peaceful, active participation in the quiet, slow changes and growing that occurs during our lives. Patience helps us to slow down in our seasonal cycles of the year, in our moods, our sense of urgency and longing for instant gratification. Patience imbues us with calm, an inner quiet, a stillness. It’s not a teacher – it’s a friend.