If you don’t have patience, you have no business trying to write to publish.

This has been a bad week for me, and I’ve had to reach deep down for some calm and some patience. My high school is in the midst of finals which tends to make students who have ignored the consequences of their lack of academic motivation to suddenly panic. Their lack of preparation doesn’t equal an emergency on my part, but I am trying to work with several so that they can still graduate. There have only been a couple of times in my teaching career that graduation came down to a passing grade in my class, and that type of pressure is draining.

Couple the stress of the last weeks of school with the maddeningly slow pace of publishing, and the Type A in me feels like standing by the wall and beating my forehead against it. No blame being cast, just frustration from a wanna-be-published writer. Control freaks (like me!) need to learn that all things happen in their own sweet time.

My daughter is getting married next weekend. While I applaud her for how wonderfully she has managed all the details, a wedding is still stressful for everyone involved. She is lucky to be marrying a wonderful man who I know will be good to her. Love you, Jon!

Lately, I find myself playing either soothing music or songs of inspriation such as “Let It Be” by the Beatles. (A “must listen” for writers.) I highly recommend Michael Buble and Barry Manilow. But, then again, I’m an old lady.

Perhaps I should listen to Eddie Murphy’s “Patience” from the Dream Girls album. It could be exactly what I need.