“Patience is not just about waiting for something… it’s about how you wait, or your attitude while waiting.” ~Joyce Meyer
I arrived in Boca de Tomatlan, Mexico, twelve days ago for vacation, anxiously awaiting some warmth and sunshine.
As anyone who has endured a cold and snowy winter up north is aware, one travels to Mexico for warm and sunny skies. Rain in February is an extremely rare thing.
But not this year.
For the first several days of my stay, it was not only heavily overcast, it rained—it rained hard and long. It was also quite chilly, and I wore my one sweatshirt every day, all day, often huddled up in my bed with a scarf wrapped around my neck.
I read, relaxed, reflected and viewed the darkened skies as my own personal patience practice ground.
I don’t judge patience as something I am particularly good at nor, as a type-A over-achieving woman, do I find exercising it particularly joyful.
However, knowing how to do so is helpful when waiting for a glimpse of the sun.
Any glimpse. Please….!
Every day I’d check the Weather Channel on my laptop and groan.
And every day I’d say to myself, “Oh, goody. Another chance to practice patience.”
By day eight I had completed all the books I brought with me, journaled ad nauseum, watched more Netflix than was healthy and had permanent bed-head hair.
And had given up all hope of getting down to the beautiful pool in a bathing suit. I literally said out loud, “Okay. You win. I give up.”
The next day was bright sun. And has been since.
I do not believe for one minute that my maintaining an attitude of patient expectation influenced the weather or caused the clouds to finally dissipate.
But it sure made the time spent waiting for the sun’s appearance a far gentler experience, void of anxiety.
Maybe that’s the whole point of putting practice to the test.
“Climate is what we expect; weather is what we get.” ~ Mark Twain
