
This time of year is filled with new beginnings. As a teacher, it is the start to a new school year. As a mama, it is the start of having two children now in high school with new teachers, new teammates and new expectations. This year, I am back in a classroom as a student again too. Personally, I am having new awakenings to who I really am and what stokes my fire. This is bringing me new opportunities to present material I am passionate about and placing me on a new stage. As my family and I begin to step into this new way of being, the message I keep hearing is “be patient.” Be patient with others and most of all be patient with yourself.
Patience Mama. My younger daughter, new to the high school scene, has forgotten at least one thing everyday this first week of school–her soccer practice shirt one day, her house key another day, her correct soccer uniform a third day and her cleats the last day. In making this huge transition to high school which has included making the soccer team and taking a challenging course load, she is struggling to stay organized.
At first, I battled with myself with how best to help her. I wanted to fix the problem for her and continued to say “make sure you have everything before you leave.” This was not helpful. In stepping back, the thought hit me that this was a growth experience for her and me intervening was taking away that growth. Instead of jumping in again, I embodied patience. As each day went by and she reported forgetting something, she became more and more upset. Eventually, the tears came, she made the shift, and got to the place of taking action. She created a checklist of things that she needs for soccer and things she needs for school. Cleverly, she put her checklist in a page protector. This enables her to use a dry erase marker to check off her items as she puts them in her backpack. Then she can erase to reuse it the next day. She left for her soccer game this weekend empowered and well equipped. Be patient Mama.
Patience Gina. I am also offering the gift of patience to myself. We are juggling a lot of activities in our family and I am the household scheduler. Sometimes life happens and one of the balls we are juggling drops. When this happens, I treat myself with kindness, apologize to those affected and move on. I breathe and realize that I am doing the best that I can. In fitting together the schedule puzzle that is our current lives, I trust that there is actually enough time in the day, especially when I put my self-care as a priority. Rested and refilled Gina is much more enjoyable and effective.
Instead of pushing the flow of life, I sit back patiently and allow the new understanding, the new solution to emerge. How am I going to figure out this situation? Relax, breathe, and the solution appears in the clarity that emerges. As the ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu once said, “Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear.”
So it is patience, not pushing for me these days. Sometimes quick, pushing action is needed. I remember the power of that in the delivery room years ago. But in the nine months leading up to that, patience and allowing the natural flow of things was equally as powerful. Be patient Gina.