May Sarton, in talking about one of the great loves in her life - gardening - said that it was an instrument of grace.
“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature is a help.”
Moving forward, albeit slowly with patience, is a necessary part of being a fully realized adult.
When circumstances become difficult, and people are hurting, you can only try to move forward with patience to attain some small measure of grace.