I had a Christmas dinner with my colleagues, which was quite an experience. Despite the restaurant’s busyness, there was an abundance of patience in the room. Although our food came late, the atmosphere was positive. Food came in at different times, and enjoyable conversations filled the gaps between early meals and late meals. The relaxed atmosphere across our tables was remarkable and at the end, we all got fed.
As we celebrate this festive season, let us remember the importance of patience — a gift we can all extend to one another. Patience with our family members, even when they test our nerves; patience with the community we serve, including those in need, those seeking refuge, and those who may challenge our understanding of kindness.
Let us also be patient with the people we encounter in our everyday lives — the cleaners who keep our spaces pleasant, the security personnel who keep us safe, the supermarket staff who work tirelessly, and the bus and Uber drivers who ensure our safe travels. Let us extend patience to the waitstaff during our Christmas meals, the delivery drivers braving the cold to bring our gifts, and even the IT systems that sometimes fail us at the most inconvenient times. Let us be patient with the traffic wardens, who have been tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that traffic flows run smoothly, especially during this festive period.
This season can challenge our ability to accept the imperfections of others, but Christmas is also a time for forgiveness, tolerance, and grace. It invites us to embrace our shared humanity, flaws and all, to remain calm, and to understand that patience is not merely about enduring but doing so with love and understanding.
Patience allows us to see the beauty in small moments, like admiration of meals that arrive early while you patiently wait for yours. Patience allows us to accept differences, and to wait for the good that often follows perseverance. Whether it’s finding that perfect Christmas gift, waiting an extra few minutes for your dessert to come out, or simply navigating a crowded shopping aisle, patience reminds us to slow down, breathe, and act with the generosity of spirit this season embodies.
An ancient book says something like this. “Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly and sisterly affection, and brotherly and sisterly affection with love for everyone.”
May this Christmas be a time for us all to reflect, forgive, and extend patience to ourselves and those around us. Let love and understanding guide us, and may we carry the spirit of Christmas — love, peace, and patience — into the new year.
Have a wonderful Christmas break.
Happy Christmas to you all.
By: Chris Kolade
Principal Consultant
United-In-Separation®
https://www.unitedinseparation.com
