One of the legacies of the great Roman civilisation is the “Latin” language, which many a word originates from. For example, the word ‘patience’, which refers to one of humanity’s greatest virtues comes from the latin ‘pati’ ( to suffer).

I do not mean to make an apology for pain and suffering when talking about patience. In fact, you will notice that one who is capable of “tolerating delay, trouble or suffering without becoming angry or upset” is referred to as a ‘patient person’, while someone receiving medical treatment is also known as a ‘patient’. Therefore claiming to be patient when we are not ready to endure the immediate consequences of forsaking the easy way for a good cause to come in time is hypocrisy.

Unfortunately you are growing up in a world, which overlooks the need for effort, everything has to be easy and pleasure at all costs is now a religion. Sacrifice is a world banished from the market… a slimming program, which tells people that they have to sweat their calories out through physical effort while avoiding indulgence in tasty but fatty foods, is bound to fail! Commercially successful programmes have to be effortless and fast, it’s understandable: some are even called miraculous!

This perception of fast results with the least effort or no effort at all is also making its way in the educational field. Education is a lifelong process, my dear kids, one never stops learning and this makes me laugh at crash programs, which aim at teaching “everything you should know” or miraculous pills, which replace the need for regular training of one’s brain and memory through learning and practice.

Where there is no patience, there is no tolerance and this leads to conflicts in families and society. It is better to open the door to negotiation and dialogue than to use the easy path of revenge. Peace is a gift that should be nurtured and kept preciously.

Remember, it’s easier to destroy than to create. Babies grow for nine months in their mother’s womb before being born, then it takes many years to raise them into healthy teenagers like you, yet it only takes a wrong choice like taking drugs or an unfortunate outburst of violence to destroy everything.

Life is made of ups and downs and pros and cons; no pain, no gain, that’s the way it goes. Nothing great has been done without effort. Rome was not built in a day, patience shall be your defence when opposition comes your way.

<B> Alain Jeannot</B>