WAITING WITH GRACE

     When I have the least amount of time to spare, and am feeling short on patience, I am inevitably faced with delays. It's either a cruel trick of the universe or a clever lesson that I am forced to slow down, and if I handle the enforced waiting poorly, I am always given another opportunity to be good natured. My momentum is crumpled by unexpected construction traffic, school buses, error and frustration at the bank, the pharmacy, the laundry; and inevitably being stuck behind the person in line who has problems, or just wants to chit chat with the store clerk. I have somewhere to be and their conversation is messing with my plan. Of course, it's different if I'm the one with the time, and someone is impatiently waiting behind me. Geez, I think. They're being so impatient. 
     So when it's my turn, and I am made to wait when waiting is the last thing I have time for, the question is, how do I handle it? And the answer is, sometimes better than others. It makes a difference if I'm hungry, or tired, or meeting someone and not wanting to be late.
     I think we are pushed to the point of breaking every once in a while for our own good- maybe to remind us how little control we actually have. I imagine we can all deal fairly easily with one small inconvenience, or maybe two, in a row. But three is pushing it, and anything beyond that starts to get into the neighborhood of universal humor. The only possible response at that point, assuming walking away is not an option, is exploding in rage, tears, or laughter. I hope for laughter, but that's not always what results. As I continue to grow, I hope to laugh more and more, and rage internally less, not only with waiting when I don't want to, but with the whole range of curve balls that life throws at me.

I am willing to wait with grace, and laugh instead of cry when life throws unexpected roadblocks in my path.