Patience

Numerous times though my life, I've been told by acquaintances that "God put Lyn in (my) life for a reason" or that I "was lucky to have Lyn as a sister."  While I love my sister very much and am glad she's my sister, there were times when I have wished my sister was normal.  There were times when she drove me to deep frustration.

Mom used to say that Lyn was here to teach me patience.  I'm pretty sure that I would give Mom The Look when she'd make that statement.  When I would get frustrated with Lyn, Mom would ask me to tell her the definition of patience and to spell the word.  The first time or two, I had to refer to the dictionary and that would be enough of a break in the action to start redirecting our focus from each other.  That didn't last long because I quickly could regurgitate the entire dictionary citation for patience through gritted teeth.

It befuddles me when people say that I'm patient.  I'm not, really.  My husband, children and mother can all attest to that.  I look at others and admire their patience.  I've seen people go over and over a topic with Lyn such as the time my ex-boyfriend tried to teach her to tell time.  Lyn's speech therapist has spent years working on a small book of sight words with her.  I see how Mom works with Lyn day in and day out to keep their household running smoothly.  Sure, she gets short with Lyn sometimes.  However, she is still one of the most patient and loving people I know.