The Gift of Patience

This morning, I had a plan. Drop off the kids at school, head to work, print out my lesson plans, and start preparing for the school year to begin officially. But Hashem had other plans for me.

 As I dropped off the kids at school, my mom called and convinced me to join her for breakfast. And just like that, my planned day took a turn. Instead of being a workaholic for a day, I spent the day with my mama. We shopped, danced, blasted music in the car, FaceTimed family, laughed, ate delicious food, and simply enjoyed each other’s company.

It hit me how rare and precious these moments are. To simply sit with your mother and enjoy each other’s presence, the peace, and the comfort of her company. To notice the ways we are alike, and even the ways we are different. To see how much we’ve both grown, how my mother is aging with grace, and how I have matured. It was an amazing day spent with my mom. 

After we said our goodbyes, it was time for me to pick up my daughter from school. On the drive there, I thought about how she has been my greatest teacher in patience. Every single day, she reminds me that she is a little girl in need of love, affection, hugs, discipline, and sometimes space. She mirrors me in so many ways, because don’t we all need the same things? Time alone, time to cry, time to be held, time to be nourished.

These past two weeks, with my brother and sister-in-law staying at my house, I’ve often heard my sister-in-law say how much patience I have. She even jokes that I should be recorded, how I can zone out the crying kids and meltdowns while calmly sitting there eating my mango, just watching and observing until I burst out laughing. Her words made me pause. Because the truth is, patience was not always my strength. There was a time when I would bottle everything up until I finally exploded like a bomb.

But I made a choice. I chose peace. I chose patience. Because the other way simply wasn’t working. I chose to bring Hashem into my daily life. I worked on myself for years while broken, healing, and parenting all at once. And slowly, patience became my strength. 

Patience is not just waiting. It’s not ignoring. It’s surrendering and embracing.

                                                            Emunah