Maximizing My Heart

Maximizing My Heart

Elisa Morgan

I arrived ten minutes early for my 2:30 hair appointment. The stylist, Alee, was a new one for me so I wanted to be on time and then some. The receptionist checked me in, offered a bottle of water and pointed me to a chair where I plopped down comfortably and pulled out my phone to check my emails. And to keep an eye on the time.

Ten minutes passed and the appointment time arrived. Then five more. Then an additional five. Now Alee was ten minutes late.

It’s always been important to me to be on time to maximize my own schedule and to honor the time of others. A ten-minute advance window is my go-to norm – thus my early arrival. But now we were getting in the murky waters of time insensitivity. Insensitivity to my time that is.  

A bubble of irritation formed in my chest, and I approached the receptionist to ask about Alee. She excused herself, checked the salon’s backroom and returned with an announcement that Alee was at lunch. Lunch? It was now 2:45.

“I have a 2:30 appointment. How can she be at lunch?” I chirped.

“She was running late. She has to take a lunch break. It’s the law,” she responded.

The law? How about managing appointment times so as not to run into such an issue?

“Would you like to wait – or rebook?”

Wait? Rebook? What was the deal here?

“I’ll give her ten more minutes,” I clipped, and returned to my seat, now not comfortable at all.

Five more minutes later a harried girl whirled into the salon, grabbed a car key and turned back to exit without a word to me or the receptionist. The receptionist called out and pointed to me, to which the stylist responded, “I have ten more minutes on my lunch,” again, without even looking at me.

I was PEEVED. My chest bubble of annoyance burst. But I somehow swallowed it down. I really didn’t want to rebook. The salon was a considerable drive from my home. I had other errands and tasks pending. I sat and stewed yet another ten minutes until she returned.

It was now a bit after 3:00.

Alee ushered me to her styling chair for a quick consultation and then back to the shampoo bowls. My responses to her friendly questions were short and without elaboration. I still had some annoyance lingering in my lungs.

As Alee began my haircut, she released a sigh and then started a long and excited monologue detailing her lunch. Her grandma had driven over but had trouble finding the salon and arrived late. Alee had also been running late but they rarely saw each other and Alee had wanted to make her grandma feel loved, so she’d made a special lunch and brought it that day. They picnicked and caught up on so much. After they’d finished, her grandma wanted to see Alee’s new car so Alee had run in to get her keys and then took her on a quick spin. She loved it! She thought the lunch was great! She was so proud of Alee!

The bubble dissolved, leaving me feeling like a peevish brat.

Really, my day was not that complicated. So I’d had to wait thirty minutes – plus the extra ten for arriving early. Okay, forty minutes total.

And sure, there are times to insist on boundaries, to speak up for our needs and even our rights. But was this such a moment?

Alee had made a choice to honor her grandmother over her work schedule. We might differ on that choice, but the love motivating her choice was simple and clear. I thought of my grandkids and wondered what choice they might have made if I was coming to see them at their workplace, and was late and put them in a bind.

It’s always been important to me to be on time to maximize my own schedule and to honor the time of others. Yes. This is a good thing. But it’s also important to maximize my heart to honor the needs of those around me. Especially when other people’s needs involve their commitments to those they love in life.

I liked my hair, left a generous tip and plopped down in my car, thirty minutes later than I’d planned, but comfortable once again.

Elisa Morgan is the author of Fruitful Living. She is the cohost of the podcast, God Hears Her. She is also the cohost of Discover the Word and contributor to Our Daily Bread. Her other books include Christmas Changes Everything, You are Not Alone, When We Pray Like Jesus, Hello, Beauty Full, and The Beauty of Broken. Connect with Elisa @elisamorganauthor on Facebook and Instagram.