Below you will find excerpts from two articles I wrote about Patience long ago. I decided to bring them together here as they speak to different aspects of patience that I believe are important. Sometimes I need to remind myself of certain things – recently it has been the value of waiting…
Article Number One:
“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” ~ St. Augustine
I thought I would have much to say in this article but now that I sit to write it, I realize just how simple it all is, really…
Wisdom takes time to acquire – a lifetime and then some. You may be able to pass on some sage words to whomever is beside you on your deathbed, but if a miracle was to suddenly occur, and you were able to live a few more years, you would still have more to learn – it’s just the way it is. The time it takes to develop wisdom is how patience is inextricably linked to it – they are twin aspects of life, two sides of the same coin.
Of course, time is not the only requirement for the development of wisdom – you must be able to think things through, learn from your experiences and mistakes, and above all, develop compassion for yourself as you navigate the challenges in your life. However, all of these aspects still need time to be mastered, so you are right back where you started when it comes to the match made in heaven between patience and wisdom.
Article Number Two:
The importance of patience is something I learned long ago – things take time to come to fruition on planet Earth, no matter how frustrating that may be at times. Recently, I found a quote that helped me understand this in a different way. Here it is:
“The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.” ~ Fabienne Fredrickson
This quote ties the concept of patience – waiting – to Nature. Nature knows exactly what she is doing and does it well enough for us to be able to survive on this planet. (By ‘us’ I mean all living things.)
I have discovered that life works best when I follow the ways of Nature.
Helen
