Patience and Pretzels

She's upset because she's hungry and our pretzel is too hot to eat. She wants it now but if she eats it, she will burn herself. She knows without my saying. A while back, we were in the same Starbucks at the same Barnes and Noble with the same steaming hot pretzel between us.

I had just explained to her that the pretzel was too hot to eat.

"It will burn your mouth," I said. "Don't do it! Noooooo!!!"

Fable didn't listen, took a bite, spat it out, cried. I told you so, said the moment.

"See?" I said.

Since then she's known to wait. She remembers. Instead she crosses her arms, pouts, kicks her chair but doesn't dare bite into anything without inspecting it for warmth.

I stab the pretzel with a plastic knife to let some of the heat escape and then she does the same. I pull at the sides. I'm hungry, too.

"Hot," she says, as the steam pours out through the slits.

"Yup. Still too hot."

She frowns again.

I join her.

Patience has never been my strength but it's something I have become much better at since having kids. Perhaps because I'm constantly explaining to them of its importance...

"Wait your turn."

"We'll be there soon."

"It'll cool down in a minute."

"It's not ready yet. Be patient..."

...Until I'm telling myself the same things.

I am tempted to taste the pretzel. It's still steaming but maybe it's not too hot to try. Except it is. Clearly it is. Of course it is.

It'll cool down in a minute.

It's not ready yet. Be patient...

Eventually it will cool down. In the meantime...

If Fable can wait, so can I.

GGC