I recently read an article about a famous singer who literally never talks down to children. Instead of height being a distinct difference, this celebrity always squats down when they talk to young children who are significantly shorter than themselves. They make it a point to get to a child's view of the world before talking or embracing a younger person.
The article was important to me because it reminded me of how I present myself to young children as well. Whether it is my daughter, my nieces and nephews or children of my friends, I make it a point to try and speak to them at their level. And it makes a big difference as to how I interact with younger individuals.
BUT what does this have to do with patience? I know that there are certain circumstances in life that test my patience more than others. And many of these situations revolve around kids. For instance, I was taking care of my niece and she wanted to go outside but it was raining. So, I squatted down to her level and snuggled her up in my arms. I explained to her that it was raining outside which means we had to find an indoor game to play. At which point in time, she screamed "NO I AM GOING OUTSIDE!" and every part of me lacked patience to deal with this temper tantrum.
So, I did what every good aunt would do. I stood up, took a deep breath, and watched my niece roll around on the floor in anger. At this point, every part of my patience was running thin. I could think of 20 different indoor activities we could play, but none of these ideas sounded like "fun" to my little niece who wanted only to go outside.
At this point, it was time to get creative with the plan. We were going outside one way or another because I had no patience to try and negotiate with this angry little human. So, I got back down on my knees, calmed her down by gently rubbing her back and promised an alternative solution to this problem. Looking into her little eyes, I told her to get bundled up, put on her rain coat and boots because we were going outside to play in the rain.
When I tell you we got soaking wet, we got WET. Every layer of my clothing was soaked all the way through by playing in the rain. But, watching my niece smile made it all worth while. And after about a half hour, we went inside, changed into dry clothes and had a cup of hot chocolate.
The frustration I had due to my lack of patience felt unbearable. And during times when my patience runs thin, I know that I need to take a deep breath and momentarily remove myself from the situation. I have to clear my mind and make way for a plausible solution to the problem at hand. And sometimes, I just need to honor the fact that patience may not be one of my greatest qualities. However, I also learned a long time ago to use skills that I readily have at hand. And problem solving is, in fact, a virtue I possess.
So when in doubt, I lean into my greatest qualities as a person and breathe through my impatience. And whether in high heels or rain boots, I always try to squat down to make eye contact with all the little humans in my life when I speak to them. I know that finding patience, when there is none left, can be hard. And yet walking away to take a moment to myself helps me through these difficult situations.
Love Note: With all my heart, I genuinely request that due to the content written, please seek the guidance of professional help should you feel you need it.
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