The Patience of Patty

My longtime childhood friend, Patty, has sure been through the wringer lately! As some may remember, her husband, Steve has taken a job here in Michigan. He moved up here shortly after Christmas, and has been living in a hotel. Meanwhile, Patty's back in Missouri, still holding down a job, taking care of 4 kids (ages 10-17), and is managing the contractor who has torn apart her bathroom upstairs. She's never sure when he's going to show up, so she's always on the alert. One morning he showed up unexpectedly while she was in the downstairs shower and was depending on just her towel to get her back upstairs to her room. Sorry Patty, but some details make the story better! She doesn't have time to read my blog, as you can imagine.
This past Tuesday she was rear-ended by a big truck with a bar on the front. She and her son were running somewhere as usual. She ended up with whiplash and is out of work this week because of it. She is trying to share a vehicle with her oldest son. Not easy at all. These are just a few challenges of living miles away, trying to do it all on your own. No husband or parents to depend on.

What I have always admired about her is her ability to stay fairly cool headed about life. I can be all flustered about something and start talking about it with her, and while I'm talking, I realize it's not that big of a deal! She deals with life as it comes, doesn't look back and doesn't look too far ahead. She's smart, resilient, and not afraid to tackle problems. The world can be falling down around her, but she won't break a sweat. She is not a whiner or a "Poor Me-er". She really doesn't have time for all of that! Yet, her gentleness comes through and her heart is as big as the dent in the back of her van. Probably bigger.

We always joke about being little old ladies in rocking chairs together. She'll be the one without the gray hair and wrinkles even though she's a few years older. I'll be the one all messed up because I worried about stuff too much!

Soon she will be back on Michigan soil, and we'll at least be sitting in lawn chairs side by side this summer. Me, complaining, and her with her patient smile, talking sense into me!