Patience

Published 4 years ago -


Alicia Burrows, Assistant Editor-In-Chief

If you were to ask me something I’m bad at, I could tell you many things. I’m a procrastinator, I watch too much Netflix and I’m a *bit* dramatic (I know, probably more than a bit, but at least I admit it). However, I think my most fatal flaw is my lack of patience. Patience has always been something so hard for me, and maybe it is related to me being an anxious person, or maybe I’m just really terrible at waiting.

I’ve been impatient my whole life. Starting with me waking up at 4am and staring at the Christmas tree until my parents woke up, and continuing now, when I struggle to wait for news of acceptance to graduate programs. Even little things, like waiting for a package to come in the mail or my takeout to be delivered, frustrate me all too much.

Recently however, I think most of my struggles with patience relate back to me being in this awkward phase of life, between being an “adult,” and someone who has a career and can provide for herself. I’m a person who knows what she wants, and will do whatever it takes to go out and get it. But some things I can’t just go out and get, I actually have to wait for, or work through the process. For example, I am so ready to have a career and be a nurse, but to get there I still have to go through more school, clinicals and job applications.

Another thing I am particularly impatient about is to get married and have kids. Many of my friends say they wouldn’t mind waiting until they are 30-something to settle down, but I want to have a house, a couple dogs and some kids in the near future. I know these things will happen eventually, but I would like for that “eventually” to be someday soon.

This past weekend, I went on the Senior Retreat and had a wonderful conversation about patience with my small group. One of the group members made a point that has really stuck with me, even days after the retreat. It was along the lines of “while being patient may be hard,

waiting is what makes life worthwhile. Imagine knowing every good thing that was going to happen in your lifetime: where’s the fun in that?” While this was not word-for-word what this person said, I think it captures the main idea. While it may be hard to be patient, we wouldn’t take as much joy in life if we already knew what was going to happen. Unwrapping presents on Christmas morning wouldn’t be as fun if we already knew what we were getting, and opening that letter from my top grad program wouldn’t have been as exciting if I knew I was going to get in.

While patience may be hard, it adds to joy to our lives and strength to our character. Patience is something I have prayed for many times, but really it is something that I have to work for. So, for the rest of the semester, I am challenging myself to be more patient. To accept each day and what it brings, and not live life just waiting for what is to come. Patience may be especially hard for me, but some of the happiest people I know are the ones who don’t have expectations for what the future holds.

Songs of the week:

“Even If” by MercyMe

“Say It” by Maggie Rogers

“Strangers” by Mt Joy

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