Day 81
8/2/22
If patience is a virtue, I have some work to do in that area. I am patient with my family, my dogs and life in general, but there are those times when I find myself counting to 10 and beyond.
Take today, for example. Gus and I were enjoying a wonderful walk\training session in the early morning coolness. We arrived at the boat landing and happened to gaze down at the nearby holding pond. The fountain was beautiful and, as Asher pointed out the other day, "Hey Nanny, you could see rainbows in the water mist." As the two streams flowed into the pond, gurgling through the rocks, I noticed Gus was mesmerized with something directly below the pond's railing.
Two beautiful monarchs were flitting back and forth on some wild flowers on the banks of the pond. Standing there with my young pup, I decided to take a quick picture to capture the moment. The two seemed to dance as they flew from flower to flower. If I could only get a picture with both of their wings spread to the sun...
After the first four or five shots, I became slightly impatient with my little friends. One would open its wings while the other, as if on cue, seemed to flit around aimlessly on a blossom. They would take turns thwarting my photo and I began to snap pictures in quick succession.
I finally looked down at Gus and said, "Wow, Buddy! You are being awfully patient right now!" He seemed to look up at me as if to say, "Well, that makes one of us!" I was humbled by that look and began to examine the feeling of angst in my chest. I simply wanted a picture of two gorgeous butterflies! When had it become a contest between their antics and my goals? I had lost my patience with nature. Never a good choice!
I pocketed my phone and we resumed our walk. Gus found a stick to carry, which gave me the opportunity to ponder what had just happened instead of digging rocks out of his mouth. What I discovered about myself was illuminating.
I have infinite patience for most things, but become impatient when I have no control over a situation that needs my attention. Those butterflies were going to do whatever they pleased, so what made me think they should hurry up and pose?
My new goal is to simply try to let go of things I can't control. I don't necessarily have to practice patience, but I can learn to live in the moment and enjoy it for what it is worth...which is a whole lot better than tapping my foot and counting to ten! And, by the way, when I checked my multitude of photos when I arrived home, I had the picture I wanted. Nature will always give you what you want, if you can only be patient enough!
