The Kindness of "Don't Rush"

"Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
― Saint Francis de Sales

Sometimes (ok, most of the time), I feel as though I am living a hurry scurry life -- shuttling children to where they need to go, making it to meetings and events, trying to get things done, hours and days flying by...

After-school and weekends feel particularly harried. This morning, I was trying to get children ready (bathed, dressed and fed) to make it to a party, violin lessons, another party and maybe a pre-party activity.  Throw in some morning drama and everybody is mad at mom, then add torrential rain and you have LATE!

I don't like to be late.  In fact, I truly dislike it.  I happen to think that it is rude and unprofessional.  Interestingly enough, that does not mean that I am always punctual.  Many times, it feels like a Herculean task to arrive on time.  Today, it felt positively Sisyphean.  (In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king whose punishment was rolling a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and then have to roll it back up the again.)

For today to have worked well, precision on the time front was required.  And not happening.  I was not worried about having one of the children arrive late to a birthday party.  But I was concerned about being late for violin lessons.  And then I received this text from the violin teacher:  "A little later will be better here if it's more convenient for you."  I nearly jumped for joy.  Feeling less inadequate, I took one child to the first party and continued on my way.  It was all going to work out, I told myself.  Until -- I went too far in the wrong direction in the torrential rain.  I was getting ready to text the teacher when she texted me.  "Don't rush -- I'm here all afternoon.  I see it's raining."

 "Don't rush."  Ah, kinder words have never been spoken or texted.  Our violin teacher has always been a special person, but today, she was my Kindness Hero.