March 28

Have you ever watched people waiting? Waiting for the train. Waiting for the plane to land. Waiting for the kids to arrive home. Waiting for Christmas to come. Waiting to grow up. Some people are calm, while others are pacing and fretting and worrying about delays. We all have had our ongoing experiences with patience as well as the opposite, impatience.

When I polled our students in our Monday morning chapel about patience, it should not be surprising that when asked who had experienced impatience, practically the entire school raised hands. Children are not good at waiting. Patience is usually in short supply. They want to be good at whatever they try to do…immediately! They want to go from a beginner to an expert in record time. And, if they don’t at first succeed? Well, it is easier to give up than to try and try again. They do know, however, that indeed to try and try again is what they must do. Perfection is not the goal, but excellence is. A growth mindset supports that philosophy, instilling the idea that the power of YET keeps the mind open to the growth that will come with persistence, practice, and patience.

We have incredible students at St. Michael’s, and they work hard, most often, to be their best. Many hold themselves to a very high standard that does not allow room for imperfection. They want to be taller, faster, smarter, better. However, all of that takes time, and it takes patience. Patience with the process, and patience with themselves. I reminded the kiddos there are two groups that have an extraordinary amount of patience in their life: teachers and parents. They identified both right away. Parents and teachers are patient as children grow. They know that with growth comes the occasional failure, and with failure important life lessons are learned. One of the most important lessons we can teach our children and students is to be patient with themselves. Why? Because God is not finished with them YET. So deep breaths…all will be well. Good things come to those who wait!

Margaret Moore

Head of School