I have such vivid memories of being a child at Christmas. Once Halloween was done, we turned our eyes to the big prize – Christmas Day. The thoughts of family, food and the the general feelings of goodwill and peace became a tangible object in my head. It was with me constantly. The outdoor lights would go up – so would my excitement levels. The tree would get decorated – stage two of my anticipation increased. Presents began to appear – my head was about to burst. In the evenings I would sit by the tree as the familiar sounds of Roger Whitaker spilled out from my parents record player – they were grand days full of excitement and anticipation. If I were to think back hard enough though, the anticipation almost killed me! I would buzz around the house and my mom would continually tell me “Calm down David, patience is a virtue.”
While patience was a virtue my mom thought I should strive for, it was not one of the seven heavenly virtues! Those would be prudence, justice, temperance, courage, faith, hope and charity. I wish I had google back as a youngster and had my mom reevaluate her words – patience my foot. Here’s the thing though, while I would not have considered myself a patient child, it did play a very important role for me in the days leading up to the big day! It amplified the absolute joy I found in the day. Family became number one, presents and great food a close second. The idea of having to wait so long made the day sweeter.
I’m trying my best to see COVID in the same vein. I have this huge anticipation of this all being over. Seeing friends again, going for restaurant meals, watching live music! All of the things I love doing in the past but have not had the ability to do for a very long time. The anticipation is great. Vaccines were approved – my excitement was sparked. Canada got its first doses – anticipation increased. I booked my appointment for my first shot – my head is about to burst. This seems to be mirroring my childish journey a great deal. Turns out patience is still not something I possess in great quantities!
When the world opens back up, the payoff will be huge. A sense of what we have in the love of our family, the freedom to move about and the sharing of great food will seem all the more magnificent because of its long absence.
So let’s buckle down right now as we go through this next wave. Let’s be patient. Let’s be understanding of others. Let’s be kind. For the gift of personal freedom is around the corner – and the wait will make it all the sweeter. Let’s calm down and remember that patience is indeed a virtue.
Stay safe, be kind.
D
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