Patience

Patience was on sale the other day at my Goodwill Store. This "patience" consisted of 4 inch tall wooden letters P.A.T.I.E.N.C.E mounted upright on a wooden board. Apparently someone had given up on patience.

I'm not surprised. The virtues in America have been shifting around. When I was a kid, patience was a virtue and greed wasn't. Now greed is the virtue (as in "be patriotic, go shopping") and patience is relegated to thrift stores.

I am old fashioned enough to think that patience is still worthwhile. And I'm also introspective enough to know when I have it and when I don't.

My patience is endless for listening to my very elderly friends in nursing homes repeat the same stories scores of times. An interesting phenomenon happens when you hear a story many times... in a way it becomes yours, too.

So I can tell you about Mrs. B's amazing barn cat who actually dipped its paw into the bowl of mushed up bread and milk and daintily ate with its paw - just like a person.

Unfortunately, my patience checks out instantly when I see a recipe with more than 8 ingredients. I do love to cook, but I'm the queen of quick in the kitchen. I am delighted, however, that other people actually have the forbearance to make the recipes in Gourmet Magazine. I promise endless praise and appreciation to anyone who invites me to dine on the results of these intricate recipes.

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