June 2022

 

On Facebook today, someone posted a reminder that we should stop and smell the roses, even for just a moment.

This photo was taken a few years ago.  The rose bushes were planted alongside the public pathway and when I was able to, I would make a point of taking that route through the neighbourhood.  The roses didn't have a heavy fragrance (which suited me just fine, being allergic to most fragrances) but the bushes would be covered with an abundance of flowers in all stages of bloom.  And it always lifted my heart when I would see them.

Well, the gardener living at the house outside where these were planted sold and moved away and the very next year ALL the rose bushes planted alongside the pathway had been chopped down.  And now all I have are memories and a few photos to remind me that things are transient.  Things come and then they go.

We are living through 'interesting' times right now and while we are in the midst of the turmoil and uncertainty it feels endless.  It's stressful, not knowing from day to day, week to week, month to month, where were we will wind up.  So much of what is currently happening in the world is so far beyond my control that it feels useless to even try.

But even in the midst of uncertainty and turmoil, there is still the possibility of beauty.  Happiness.  Contentment, even.  Just because so much of what is happening is awful, doesn't mean that we can't take a moment, now and then, to smell roses.

Or weave a tea towel, if that's what brings contentment.

I mentioned to a friend that with the Olds class coming up very soon I am conserving my spoons in hopes of making it through the teaching week.  And of course, once I'm home from that, I have to focus on preparing for the two online classes I'll be doing for SOS.

At least I found the lace samples I so carefully (not!) 'put away in a safe place'.  So that has eased my mind.  I won't now have to reweave them!  They got buried in a bin and once I opened the right one and started sorting things for the Olds class, voila, there they were.

I have a rough idea of what I want to do, but that isn't good enough for the team.  They can't open my brain box and figure it out - I have to sit down and write up a step by step guide to navigate through the taping.  If it will be more efficient to tape out of order, I need to make note of that, too, so the editor can get the sequences in the correct place.  And I have to have all my samples prepared, documentation written, ready to be posted to the website.  It all has to come together for launch day, early next year, I'm told.

Someone posted a graphic of a triangle labelled work with about the top 10% indicated as what the world sees, compared to how much work it took to present it.  

I could only nod in agreement!

But I have come to the realization that in order to accomplish what I want to do, I need to carefully dole out my 'spoons' of energy/attention.  

Getting to the loom a couple times a day keeps me centered and reminds me to pause and take a little enjoyment, a little pleasure in my day.  It's my version of 'stopping to smell the roses'...

Don't let the brokenness of the world overwhelm you.  Stop and smell the roses - whatever that means to you.