If there is one thing that I have learned in my 21 years, it is that patience is a virtue. I know that sounds very cliche, but it is true. I have found myself waiting for things quite frequently lately. I've been waiting to hear back from jobs that I've interviewed on. Just this last week, I have been waiting to get some results on a test that I took. Waiting is hard. All kinds of scenarios run through your mind when you are waiting. But because of that, it is also an excellent time to grow; to explore your freedom of being unemployed; to live carefree until the test confirms either yes or no.
Patience is a virtue, but what even is a virtue? If you want to look at it from a spiritual point of view, the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines virtue as "a firm and habitual disposition to do the good." That sounds nice, but it is rarely applicable when playing the waiting game. There is usually no choice in having to wait, and so the firm disposition is not there. The secular definition says that a virtue is a behavior showing high moral standards. Even that definition is a bit confusing, because who would have thought that waiting had anything to do with morality.
I remember being in Disney World 8 years ago. We were waiting at a hibachi restaurant and our server was handing out mushrooms. My dad sheepishly raised his hands and said, "I want some mushrooms", to which the server simply replied with a long, drawn out "PAAAAATIENCE." We all laughed, but it was truly a reminder that sometimes we must experience seasons of waiting before the good is to come, which reminds me a lot of the season of Advent. Advent is a time in which Christians prepare their hearts for the King that is to come, Jesus Christ. We must wait, and while it will be tough, the reward (eternal life) is so worth it.
I don't think waiting in itself is what makes something a virtue. It is the ability to wait without getting angry or frustrated. Not only do we need to have patience during seasons of waiting, but we must be patient with one another. That is definitely something I learned this summer living with five other women. I must learn to love each of them and be patient with each of their own personality quirks. That was hard! Some of those quirks naturally meshed better with my own, and others really just got on my nerves. But still, I must be patient with them. After all, we as human beings do the things we do for some reason. Something in our past has made us who we are today. Because of that, every person has a beautiful story and if you are patient enough, you may just get to hear it one day.
