Crochet

When i was little, and even into my late teens and twenties, i would spend a lot of time with my Mema. (grandmother) Just hanging out, watching movies, going to the store, out to Panda Buffet,  sleeping over just normal grandkid/Mema things. My Mema was a crochet-er. She would make afghans, lap blankets, baby afghans, pot holders all kinds of things. i remember one night when i slept over i asked her to teach me how to do it. She gave me a hook a skein of yarn and we sat for about two hours while she showed me how to crochet. just the basics of twisting a single string of yarn over and over on a little hook and turning it into something beautiful. that night i made things not so beautiful, just long trains of single crochet, but it was a start.

The thing is, that although she taught me this wonderful skill, i learned from her way more than just how to make an afghan, a hat, a pot holder.

i learned to live in the moment. each time i move the hook from loop to loop i have to concentrate on exactly what I'm doing. not looking back, or too far forward, just right at that space of time when what i am immediately touching is what is most important.

i learned to give from the heart. every project that i create is a labor of love. it take time, creativity and energy. when you crochet, at least when i crochet, every stitch is like a little prayer. may the afghan comfort the receiver, may this afghan bring warmth in the cold, may this afghan wrap the person in the love that i am pouring into it.

i learned patience. a lot of patience. and i am not an extremely patient person. it is a time commitment to sit down and create something from nothing. especially in larger sized projects. sometimes it can take me two months to complete an afghan. so patience is key.

i learned perseverance. that when i sit down and start a project i must see it through to it's completion. i can't just get halfway through and say, oh well I'm tired of this. I'm done. no, you must see it all the way to the end, to it's complete fruition. and the joy that a completed project brings is it's own reward.

of course all these things go way beyond just crocheting. i apply these traits to every aspect of my life. it's just recently that "living in the moment" has become a key part of y cognitive therapy to get thru my depressive episodes. "giving form the heart" of my time and talents to the church, to my family, to my friends. "patience" well my patience is tested everyday, i do have three young children. and "perseverance" was a tough one. i fight very hard to see all things to the end and not to give up when times are tough.

Did Mema know that when she sat down with me that evening that she was instilling in me values that would carry me through out the most difficult times of my life? i dunno. maybe. But i think the biggest lesson from all of this is that when you pass down knowledge and skills to the people around you, the people you love, you are teaching them much more than that skill. not only that, you are reinforcing your connection to that person by teaching them that skill. every time i create something from crochet a little bit of that evening with my Mema goes into it. a little bit of the love we had for each other is poured into that project.

thank you Mema for loving me so much and teaching me what you knew. i miss you.