A Lesson in Patience

For any of you (parents or not) that think children have no patience, I believe it is a matter of perspective.

I think many of you have heard the story of Einstein’s explanation of his theory of relativity. He tries to explain how Time is relative to the observer. I’ll retell it, if in brief.

He compared it to a young man having dinner with a beautiful woman. An hour felt like a mere moment. This versus the same young man sitting on a hot stove, where a mere moment felt like an hour.

My story is more like Me versus Pillsbury Toaster Strudels. Actually, it is me versus Pillsbury Toaster Strudels.

We’re up early, as usual, getting ready for school. I make the breakfasts and lunches. Sara chooses toaster strudels. Easy enough. Two in the toaster and *poof* breakfast.

Then there’s the icing. Those tiny little packets of tooth decaying evil.

She slowly extrudes a little design onto the pastry. This of course turns into a puddle. She squeezes it some more. Like her mother and that last bit of toothpaste, she finds the strength to push one more drop out.

Oh, she’s not done yet. She then proceeds to suck on the packet. A look of pure ecstasy on her face complete with her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

“Ahhhh…”

This all takes about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, all around her are the noises of the family preparing to leave. This includes constant reminders to: “Hurry up, Sara!”

Not to be deterred, she looks me square in eye… and begins the ritual on the second pastry. That’s right. She eats two.

Then I find that this isn’t so much a lesson to discover the Tiny Terror has patience, but that there are times when I don’t.