Life and Embroidery

When I was a child, my grandmother tried to teach me embroidery. What brought her great joy, however, caused me stress and anxiety. Although she guided me patiently through all my trial-and-error efforts, I hated the look of my stitches compared to hers. I worried others would judge me as inept. Despite her gentle assurance that my efforts were worth celebrating, I quit...vowing never to pick up needle and thread again.

Now, decades later, I have finally begun to perceive the lessons she was teaching. I'm seeing now that it's about the journey, about allowing ourselves to make mistakes and celebrating the fact that we're trying, learning, growing. Permission to love and enjoy our own creative efforts without measuring them against the endeavors of others is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves.