Summer vacation with the kids out of school is on its way along with all of that wonderful together time! As much as we savor the closeness, there can be times when our close moments aren’t so picture-perfect. Steven Covey offers up some great advice in his book 7 Habits of Highly Successful Famililes for those moments of growing pain. His advice applies not only to families and children but to all of our strides toward success in which we so often look for signs of gain.

“…in everything you do in your family, keep in mind the miracle of the Chinese bamboo tree. After the seed for this amazing tree is planted, you see nothing, absolutely nothing, for four years except for a tiny shoot coming out of a bulb. During those four years, all the growth is underground in a massive, fibrous root structure that spreads deep and wide in the earth. But then in the the fifth year the Chinese bamboo tree grows up to eighty feet!

Many things in family life are like the Chinese bamboo tree. You work and you invest time and effort, and you do everything you can possibly do to nurture growth, and sometimes you don’t see anything for weeks, months, or even years. But if you’re patient and keep working and nurturing, that “fifth year” will come, and you will be astonished at the growth and change you see taking place.

Patience is faith in action. Patience is emotional diligence. It’s the willingness to suffer inside so that others can grow. It reveals love. It gives birth to understanding. Even as we become aware of our suffering in love, we learn about ourselves and our weaknesses and motives.”

If you’re still waiting for your “fifth year”, don’t ever give up; it’s coming. Enjoy your summer vacation, and we look forward to seeing you in the spa soon!