Patience is a Virtue

Patience is sometimes hard to come by. It is something I am working on. But honestly! When I've asked five times for my one daughter to get her coat on I see red! But, as I said, it is something I am working on, and somedays are better than others. I think that is something we can say for most things.

The more I live (or try to live) my simple life values, the more I realize how much being patient plays a role. This is not the life for instant gratification. You can't plant your tomato plants one day and expect to find fully ripened tomatoes the next. We need to be patient, nurturing and learning individuals. Our gratification comes from hard work: keeping and maintaining our home, raising children, gardening, baking, cooking, keeping on budget, making items ourselves learning new skills... All essential, all hard work, all require patience.

This was brought home to me as I was tracking our spending and making sure we were on track with some of our financial goals. When my husband and I made our budget we chose a few household projects to accomplish this year and figured out how much money would be needed to be set aside for them. That's great. Look at us being all adulty and responsible. But, the waiting game starts. We know we have a plan, unfortunately the plan takes time and I want to get going right now! I want all the money saved up now. I want other projects to be happening now. I know I need to just stick to the plan and everything will work out, but, it is hard to fight off this sense of urgency. I guess I need to shut off that part of my brain somehow. I need to know I have a plan, feel confident in my plan and wait for everything to work out.

There will always be a to-do list, a repair list, a renovation list, a things to save for list. And, as much as it would be nice to get all those things done at once, it is an impossibility. We need to be patient, prudent and prioritizing. All our dreams can come true with patience and hard work. I guess the simple life isn't always so simple. But, it is worth it.