Coping Lessons from the Snow

By Dave Balch Blogger

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Our snow is melting, and as I see less and less of it every day I think I have stumbled on the one quality that is the key to life: patience. Everywhere I go I see the snow drip-drip-dripping as it melts. It’s an incredibly slow process, yet, eventually, it will happen to every single flake. Look at it this way: I figure that, at the moment, we have over 2 million pounds of snow on our property which is roughly the weight of two fully-loaded and fueled 747 airplanes. How does all of that snow melt? ONE DROP AT A TIME. That, my friends, is patience.

Would you have the patience to melt all of that snow one drop at a time? I sure wouldn’t! I’d be trying to find a faster way, and probably stressing about it in the process. There are some things that you just can’t hurry along; there is a process that must be allowed to run its course.

How were the pyramids constructed? One block of stone at a time.

How are wars won? One battle at a time.

How do trees grow? One cell at a time.

How is the space station being built? One module at a time.

How are those modules being built? One component at a time.

Uh, I think you get the idea by now!

So it is with many of your problems. They must be allowed to run their course, and worrying and stressing about them won’t resolve anything sooner. Wounds must be allowed to heal. Medicines must be given time to work their magic. The snow must be allowed to melt at its own pace.

I’m not saying that if there is, in fact, something you can do to hurry things along that you shouldn’t do it. I’m simply saying that for those things you can’t influence, take comfort in the fact that you’ve done all you can and that things are happening the way they are supposed to happen. Keep an eye on things to make sure that the process hasn’t stopped for some reason, then move on to something else and wait.

If you don’t, YOU may have the meltdown and it will be much faster than the snow.

This article is one in a series on coping strategies for patients and caregivers alike. For more thoughts on caregiving, coping strategies, reducing stress, and just plain fun subscribe to my free monthly newsletter at http://www.CaringAndCoping.com Need a speaker for an upcoming event? I have a program that will knock your socks off! Watch video clips at http://www.ThePPP.org/speaking/#handle

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.