To Everything There Is a Season....

I was having a phone conversation with my daughter the other day who was commenting that she was feeling some pressure from family members because they didn't feel that she was handling another family matter in their time and/or in their manner.  She wasn't telling me about it for support or even for validation.  She was simply thinking out loud, and I happened to be the person on the other end of the phone.  Her explanation for the way she is taking care of the problem in question is that she has method to her madness and that she knows what she is doing, considering the circumstances.  She is biding her time for the right opportunity.  And I agreed with her.

In education, we call that the "teachable moment".  That is the time when someone asks a question or makes a comment that is totally off-topic, but the teacher weighs the mood of the kids and the environmental situation to decide to stray from the curriculum long enough to deal with the questions; that maybe what can be learned in this instance could be more valuable than whatever the day's lesson entails because the students are engaged and receptive.  And, of course, when the class period is over, the students feel victorious because they think that they distracted the teacher...though even the least-experienced teacher knows exactly what is going on!

I'm one of those people that requires time to think through things before I make major changes in life. Not even major changes, actually.  (Sometimes just where to put a certain lamp!)  I'm not the kind of person to make a quick decision only to be forced to live with the negative ramifications after.  I like to get it right the first time.  And this is a hard thing to do!  I learned--the hard way, during and after my divorce--that the disconnect between intellect and emotions can be a powerful thing, and that one needs to listen to the brain more than the heart.

In some respects, I got lucky.  I made some quick decisions that turned out well...and a couple that were disastrous...but my intuition later in life has turned out to be a better teacher than my emotions and/or intellect were earlier.  In that respect, I feel quite wise.  Not smart, maybe...but wise.
I'm delighted to report that my daughter is gaining some of that wisdom from experience, but not from me.  She's going to be okay.  I can die happy.

For those who want to jump in with knee-jerk reactions to things, I advise reading Ecclesiastes 3:

 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

I especially like the "time to keep silence, and a time to speak" thing.  The teachable moment, biblical style!