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Patience is a word used to describe how long one can cope with a certain situation. Wikipedia defines patience as:

Patience (or forbearing) is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast

As a special needs parent I use the word patience many, many times a day. I’m always asking God for more patience because I seem to spend my allotted amount fairly quickly. It’s not like I have an abundance of patience just burning a hole in my pocket. It’s that I spend it on my kids.

I look at patience as a form of currency. Much like money is required to pay bills and provide for my family’s ever growing physical needs, patience is required in order to meet my family’s other needs.

In exchange for patience, I can spend time with my children in a calm, loving and productive way. Sometimes the time spent can cost a great deal more patience than others. Much the same way I struggle financially with money, I struggle emotionally with patience.

No matter what I do or how hard I try, life requires more patience than I have to spend. I find myself having to budget my patience much like I budget my paycheck. I only ever have enough to devote to the highest priorities in my life.

At times it’s really difficult to choose where to spend my limited patience each day because there are so many people, places and things demanding it.

It goes without saying that not everyone will be on the receiving end of my patience.

I suppose I should apologize in advance because if you’re reading this then you are likely not very high on the priority list as far as how and when I spend my patience. Truth be told, damn near every ounce of patience I have is budgeted to be spent on my children.

Much the same way that I spend every dime I have providing for my wife and kids, they are also the primary beneficiary of my patience.
Until the day that I can hit a drive-thru and pick up a super sized helping of patience to replenish what I have spent, it’s likely to remain the same.

So if we ever cross paths and I don’t have a lot of patience to give you, please remember that’s it’s likely because I was spending time with my kids and gave it all to them.