When Patience isn't a Virtue

The Seven Heavenly Virtues:

Chastity, Abstinence, Liberality, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, Humility

Chastity- Courage and boldness. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment.

Abstinence- Constant mindfulness of others and one's surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation.

Liberality- Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions.

Diligence- A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness.

Patience- Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners.

Kindness- Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake.

Humility- Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one's own self. Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one's own self.

In Yoga, they talk about “cultivating your patience”.

Well, I think DeRay cultivated his too much.

First of all, he and Ed were going to take the cart down and get the car while I returned Amy’s cap that he had left in the Men’s Dressing room. When I got down 15 minutes later, he was still standing at the desk waiting to ask for his car. Others went outside and handed their card to a valet and were gone in 10 minutes.

We take the cart outside and wait.

“That looks like Amy’s car,” I say as they back a car in to be loaded.

“No,” says DeRay, “for one thing, that’s a Toyota.”

Amy has a Hyundai Cilantro.

Sure looks like her car to me but what do I know?

Forty-five minutes goes by and we are still standing there waiting.

It’s very busy with wedding reception guests dressed fit to kill arriving in hordes.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

Surely the next car will be Ed’s Buick.

Finally I go back in to the desk at the Cliff Lodge at Snowbird.

“Oh, there’s been a mix-up. They are looking for it.”

“Looking for what?”

“A Hyundai Cilantro.”

“No, that’s our daughter’s car.

My husband asked for a Buick.”

“Well, there were two sets of keys for room 904.”

“Can’t there be two cars for one room?”

“They are looking.”

“Tell them to look for a Maroon Buick.”

DeRay and Eddy are still standing outside . . .waiting.

It’s an hour before they take the Hyundai back and bring the Buick.

When patience isn’t a virtue.

It reminded me of DeRay’s patience the night we waited in the lobby of the condo in Hawaii for a ride to the airport in 1983. We went down with all out luggage and four kids around 7 pm. Everyone else got called and left; no one called us.  DeRay accepted it all, knowing they would come for us. They never did. Three hours later, we finally call. “Oh the car is on the way.” It never came. It’s going on midnight. The plane leaves at 1. We’re 45 minutes from the airport. Finally when a car pulled up and stopped, I told the driver he was taking us to the airport. “I’m off shift. I’m going home.” “No, you’re not. You’re taking us to the airport.”  He did and we got on the plane as it was taxing down the runway. Almost. We should have known they didn’t have our names on the list when we were never called to go from the airport to the condo. We just crowded in. Six of us.

At least we had a beautiful condo with a magnificent view of Waikiki. One couple had a view of the ventilation system.

We had plans to meet DeLoy and Grace at Disneyland the next morning. If we had missed our plane, we would have missed a fun day with them and we may still be in Hawaii –

When patience isn’t a virtue.

Uncultivate, DeRay.

P.S. Listen to your wife.

Even if she is just a woman.

DeRay sincerely loves his GPS

He uses it to get home everyday.

I thought it would teach him

to take instructions from a woman

but it doesn't seem to have helped much.

BTW, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DeRAY

He fixed his own lunch.

I offered to do the dishes.