“How poor are they that have not patience!
What wound did ever heal but by degrees?”

— William Shakespeare, Othello, 1604

That pair of comfortable old shoes you’ve had forever …

… didn’t start out that way.

At first, they probably pinched a little, rubbed in the wrong spot, felt slightly uncomfortable, and maybe even the soles were just a bit lumpy.

People are like that. At first, they may rub us the wrong way and make us feel a little uncomfortable. Given time though, we learn to adjust to their habits and mannerisms.

If we keep trying on new people, expecting them to immediately be a perfect fit, we’ll be sorely disappointed. We may even end up getting hurt. But if we give them time, they often come to fit pretty well. Like an old pair of shoes.

It takes time to adjust to the sole of a new shoe. Just like it takes time to adjust to the soul of a new person.

Yesterday’s gift of time … Attended my first booster club meeting at my son’s new high school. There were lots of new souls.