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The ties that bind

Writer's picture: Rebecca (a yarn enthusiast)Rebecca (a yarn enthusiast)

Earlier this week, one of my cousins came into town for a couple days, and we were able to catch up, reminisce about long-gone relatives and recall good times from the past. We had a wonderful visit over a few days and it got me thinking about those relatives and their lives. As children, it can sometimes seem that while we endure the typical kid-centric life challenges, our parents and grandparents don't have any issues. The reason, of course, is that most adults take care to shield their children, and especially their grandchildren, from the life traumas they experience. While this is probably the only reasonable option for young children, it can leave kids with a belief that the adults in their lives have experienced few challenges. Today, from the perspective of a mother and grandmother, I can look back and recognize that my grandparents had a lot of ups and downs, like everyone else. I also realized - not very long ago - that my grandmother's prolific crocheting was more than a quaint hobby to engage in while the TV was on. It was therapeutic for her, as it is for many of us that crochet, knit or sew. I was a precocious 10 year old when my grandmother taught me how to crochet a chain with yarn. I was a VERY busy and VERY curious kid, and she had a lot of farm chores to do. In hindsight, I'm guessing that teaching me to crochet a chain was an attempt to keep me busy for more than 5 minutes,... and it worked! I have often wondered if she ever recognized that simple lesson as the invaluable gift it was at that time, and would continue to be for many years. Most of us who knit or crochet have a variety of projects in progress. We have the projects that are gifts for others and those that are something for ourselves. We also may be trying out a new pattern with no particular end goal other than learning the pattern. I suspect that many of us ALSO have those mindless projects that we can pick up and put down without much thought, and that may or may NOT ever be completed. These projects are havens of peace in times of trouble. Sometimes we knit or crochet with the goal of finishing a piece; other times we knit or crochet with the goal of finding some peace. I believe that our relatives (male & female!) and others who passed on the practice of knitting or crocheting knew this, too.

In the Hebrew tradition, there is a concept, Tikkun Olam, which means (loosely translated) intentional acts to repair the world. I believe that knitting, crocheting and related activities can be an active part of repairing the world. Whether we are giving a small item to make someone smile, making a larger piece to give as a gift, or engaging in the art of self-care by managing our own challenges through engaging in the meditative practice of knitting or crocheting; we are repairing one small corner of the world. While our older relatives may have never shared their pain and sorrow with us, if they passed on the skills or LOVE for crocheting or knitting, they shared a legacy of healing and a path to peace. We inherit a lot of things from our ancestors. Some of these are less than welcome (thinning hair, predisposition to certain diseases, height/weight, etc.), but hopefully when we tally things, we see it all as a net positive contribution to our lives. Those of us who knit and/or crochet already know the good these creative arts bring into our lives. Perhaps we should make it our mission to pass on these ties that bind, so that future generations can benefit as we have, in good times, stressful times and everything in between!

 

(C) 2023 Stitch 'n Dish


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