Final answer:
Serena waited patiently to see a mental health counselor, recalling her grandmother's advice on the virtue of patience. The delayed session introduced her to life-changing therapy, reinforcing the idea that it indeed pays to wait.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tapping her foot nervously, Serena looked at her watch again. She had been waiting three hours to see a mental health counselor at Powell College South, and she did not think she could wait much longer. She had to get to work. It was an unusual day, not because Serena had to wait—waiting was part of her every Tuesday and Thursday routine before heading to her job at the local diner—but because today felt particularly heavy, and the need to share her struggles felt more urgent. However, Serena recalled her grandmother's advice: "Patiently waiting often leads to the richest rewards."
After much hesitation, she decided to stay put, trusting that the help she would get was worth the delay. In the end, it turned out that her counselor had been delayed by an emergency, but when Serena finally got her session, the counselor introduced her to a therapy that would significantly improve her mental wellbeing. The wait, though agonizing, gave Serena the chance to reflect and prepare herself to open up fully in her session, something she realized might not have happened if she had rushed through the meeting.
Months later, Serena looked back on that day as a turning point. The lessons and coping strategies she gained from that session enabled her to manage her challenges with greater resilience. She understood that it indeed pays to wait, for her patience led to the discovery of a therapy that changed her life, granting her the strength she hadn't known she possessed.