The major road that runs by my house is undergoing major construction. Has been for months, will be for at least another year (that’s the DOT estimate, so we should probably double it).
It is horrendous to drive. One week, all four lanes of traffic are stuffed into an area that will eventually house three lanes, the next week, they’re all on the other side of the road. There are more orange and white cones out there than I’ve seen Sego Lilies (the Utah State Flower) in my whole life. The cones courteously denote massive lane shifts, but as yet can’t help me when my traffic light is on the other side of the road—OHMYGOODNESSIT’SREDHITTHEBRAKES!!!!
However, I know that one day, probably many years from now, possibly after we move away from here, this road will be very nice. Although sometimes I lament that at the rate they’re going, by the time they finish it’ll be time to resurface it, I’m hoping that for at least a few months, we’ll be able to enjoy a wider, smoother and less congested road.
But until then, I’m going to be whining and complaining about the mess and the noise and the daily brushes with death.
And yesterday it hit me—this is pretty much the story of my life. I spend so much time obsessing over, worrying about and complaining about the stuff I don’t want to deal with today. Meanwhile, I keep looking (and hoping) for a smoother road ahead.
Will I ever know when I get there?
7 replies on “Patience in the journey”
Great question. And I think the answer is no. I know for me anyway, I always look back and think, I had it so much easier then and I didn’t realize it. Hopefully I’ll recognize the good times more now.
This is exactly how I feel right now…though I feel like I’ve got my brakes on and I’m sliding through the light…. It seems like I’m always waiting for the whiplash when I hit the tree on the side.
Interesting. I thought that is was only me that has such difficulty with ‘living in the moment.’
Cheers
You know, I think we all do this to some extent… It can be really hard to just slow down and appreciate the view of where we are right in this moment. A beautiful reminder for Thanksgiving week!
Oh, this makes me giggle in the most conspiratorial of ways!! You see, no one ever gets there. You’ve just got to be here and now, with all the flaws of the moment, it’s really all we’ve got.
But that doesn’t stop me from wishing I were on that smoother road that is bound to be up ahead….
I bet most people live hoping next week the road will be smoother, only i always seems to get rougher as we go. Especially when we’re focusing on all the potholes. 🙂
Holy moly do I identify with this post! We’ve been passing colds around our family for months now, and I keep feeling like I’m stuck in tar in the moment and looking ahead to a “smoother road.” And then it hit me, like it did you, the other day, that this is probably more the reality of what life is like with a family, and that I’d better just learn to roll with it rather than use my energies moaning and complaining and waiting for an easier ride to come. Thanks so much for this post–it helps to know that others struggle with this too!