"Patience is a virtue" my mum would say, as I would jump up and down waiting for a proper answer to what seemed like a life or death situation! It is all well and good being told to display patience in those situations, however unless you have a hint of what the end result might be, you feel like there is no time to sit around to wait and see!
It takes me back to my good ol' cafe working days. The witty and dry humour of elderly people always kept me amused. It was the, "Date or cheese?" replied by "Oh a date with you my dear anyday!! Oh you meant the scones..." It always made me smile through gritted teeth knowing that he wouldn't be the only one that said it that day. However, it's the ladies that used to test my patience, they never quite understood how to wait for their coffee or tea and were constantly asking where it was, knowing too well that they placed their order a maximum of 30 seconds ago!
It must have been hard to learn such values from that generation. Knowing that many of them have probably been psychologically scarred from the rationing times, back in the day, they want what they can get NOW as if they're scared of it running out or never getting their share!
In our classroom, I must say we are blessed with patient children. The children know each other very well and if one is struggling they have the patience and care to offer. I was watching the other day as the children were creating fabric flowers for Christmas presents. One of the boys, who admittedly does not have the best hand eye coordination, was ready to start using the hot glue gun to stick his circles of fabric together. It was then, that one of the older girls offered to show him how it's done. He was quite unwilling to recieve her help, but she persisted until she felt that he was confident to do it himself. It was lovely to see her patience for a child who, in all honesty, was quite rude about recieving her help.
The last few weeks have been a test of patiences on behalf of all teachers, end of year reports are to blame! Yet with reports now out of the way and only 7 days left at school, the stress bubble has burst. End of year preparations are being delt with and closeure to a rollercoaster year is in sight.
The last few weeks, I have noticed the level of my patience, or lack of. It seemed at one point that certain aspects of life were dragging. School felt manic and I felt in the awkward bubble of the unknown at home. I couldn't figure out where to start. The last week, I stepped into gear. I have sold some furniture, reserved a space at a car boot sale, sorted through items for the car boot, arranged appointments regarding loans for next year, I have booked to attend a course in January that will give me a certificate for teaching English abroad, I have booked my flights to England and booked accommodation in Malaysia. On top of that, I have also caught up with some wonderful people this week, either for lunch or movies or just over the phone. Full on, but bursting with enthusiasm now.
Next time I feel in a lull, I should remember to find patience, not to be one of those old biddies wondering where her hot drink is. I need to remember to have faith that the time will come to allow for other thigns to slot into place.
