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| Burning bush at the front door |
My goal for 2016 was to finish – finish, finish, finish – the unfinished projects
I have stored in plastic boxes since I began to wield needle and hook. I will NEVER re-visit that goal again. I WAS MISERABLE!!
Oh!
Indeed I did finish things, and that was satisfying. I finished the “bridal”
afghan for daughter Hallie, begun in 2009. I finished the doll quilt I started
in 1955, a buffalo passed to me from my mother. And I finished a panel doll I
ordered from The Chocolate Soup, a shop in New York City, in 1966. (To show you
how deeply entrenched these things can become, I couldn’t bring myself to toss
the envelope in which the panel was mailed to me those 50 years ago simply
because it had become so familiar amongst my treasures.)
But
– I lost a lot of inspiration, and that inspiration is so important to
happiness. I wouldn’t let myself start projects that took my fancy for fear of
inability to finish. I actually became afraid. And I also came face to face
with the time crunch. -- you know the voice that asks, “How much longer do you
think you have anyway?” And really, I don’t believe in living like that.
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| Nellie & Bess taking morning naps |
Well,
it was something I had to work through. I came to see that I’m only responsible
to myself. I can afford to dabble if that’s what I want to do, and the finish
really doesn’t matter -- at least, not all the time.
Daughter
Hallie chided me a bit for saying I wouldn’t finish the Halloween afghan before
Halloween. Well, I was late starting it, and I have a few other things I want to do. I can’t sit all day and crochet. I have
to have a variety of activities. (And I have a husband who likes to go places
and do things.)
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| My Halloween celebration |
But
then Hallie said something – or implied something – which made me realize that
the act of making is in itself a celebration, not just the end product. That was a revelation to me. With my new mindset, I have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating
the season by crocheting on my Halloween afghan. Its colors – black, orange,
yellow, and white – add seasonal color to the house, even though it’s a work in
progress. But – it does indeed grow slowly. KW
2 comments:
The quilt is lovely! It reminds me of candy corn. I don't think you should punish yourself for not finishing things. At least, if the thing you started didn't satisfy you mid-way through, just move on. Life is too short.
Hi Hallie!
Yes, I agree -- life is too short to waste time on what isn't satisfying. You may recall that I started a Christmas afghan that just wasn't coming together right, and you suggested I move on. I did -- but I still have the granny squares. I will dispose of them as soon as I decide the best method.
Your dad used to finish any book or movie he started. I talked him out of that with the same reasoning that life is too short.
This afghan is reminiscent of candy corn, and some afghans just use yellow, orange, and white, but I liked the look of it with the black row.
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