P is for Patience- A to Z Challenge

P is for patience, something I lack. I often am too eager to hear the end of a story, to know than answer. Too eager for my kids to get dressed, eat, or sleep. Too eager to finish getting my thoughts onto paper, or saved into the computer. Too eager to get everything done all at once, usually resulting in frustration or something going wrong. The only thing that does not leave me impatient is books, usually. I like the unfolding of the story and only skip to the end if the book is one that I am not planning to read or cannot make myself finish.

My children are the tools that are finally teaching me to master my lack of patience, and daily testers of my limits. My son speaks slowly, repeating the first part of a sentence a few times, before getting to the point he desperately wants to share. my daughter mumbles. She will talk softly into her hand, or facing the other way, or in some other manner that makes it impossible to figure out what she is saying. They both like to tell stories and make up words, making communicating all the more difficult. Although, when I actually hear all of the parts of their stories I am typically highly entertained.

I am usually the most lacking in patience for myself. My own failings leave me frustrated and readying to stop trying. But then I tell myself the same thing I find myself saying to me son. Things that are difficult take time and practice. Just like he should not give up on jump roping after five minutes, I should not give up on myself for procrastinating, or eating too much chocolate again, or taking on too much at the same time. I need to keep trying to be the best I can, and grant myself the same patience that I try to give the people around me.

What tries your patience the most? Do different things test your patience in others than in yourself?

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