Patience

 My daughter and her husband celebrated their marriage with a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico last week. A small group of family and friends were able to join us to be a part of their special day, and although rain and cloud was forecasted for the day of the wedding, we had a perfect day of sunshine and blue skies.

I have always considered myself to be a patient person. I tend to be fairly grounded most of the time and I have the ability to be flexible when required.  Imagine my frustration when I found that my level of patience was noticeably lacking on day one of our vacation. Normally Logan and I travel together just the two of us and although there is flexibility built into our vacation we also have a routine that works for us. Going on vacation with a group of people has its challenges, but the greatest challenge for me was travelling with my dad this time. The three of us shared a room which was beneficial cost wise to both of us. My dad is 80 years old and he has generally enjoyed good health and mobility, but the years are starting to catch up to him and he is beginning to experience health issues related to his age.

Walking anywhere in a huge resort with dad was frustrating right away as his idea of going places involved a leisurely stroll even if we were scheduled to meet up with other people. Apparently I walk too fast. I recognised my lack of patience right away. I didn't like what I was feeling and tried to adjust to the circumstances. Dad gets up 2 - 8 times during the night, so my sleep was not at its optimum. Thankfully Logan is a sound sleeper and he got a good sleep each night. I am grateful that these resorts have qualified and accessible doctors as I was able to get dad in to see the doctor when a health issue presented itself midweek. The doctor was able to prescibe and provide the necessary medication that dad needed. I just had to try and keep him on track with taking the doses and remind him that alcohol was not a good idea while taking medication. The role of parent-child is definitely changing between myself and my dad, and that can be challenging for both of us.

I can look back over the years and remember times when I have had a remarkable amount of patience given the circumstances. When I delve deeper into those moments I realise that I was able to stay grounded and centered because I was living more in the moment, allowed myself to be open and released others and myself from expectations. Stress and anxiety are then decreased and patience is increased. The ability to problem solve is also increased, all while maintaining balance and staying grounded.

Anything or anyone can become a trigger that upsets that delicate balance no matter how relaxed, grounded and easy going a person may be. Awareness and taking action is necessary to reduce stress and anxiety as it occurs. Recognise what is happening, why it is happening and how can you get back on track.

Michele Ward