Sunday, September 11, 2011

Thinking of Threads

Thread is really an amazing thing. It comes in so many pretty colors and shades; it comes in different materials (cotton vs. synthetic); it can be smooth or rough; it can be thick or fine. Despite all these differences, thread's main purpose is to stitch things together and hold them in place. Don't you think it's neat that such a thin little piece of long string is all it takes to make clothing or crafts and that it's strong enough to keep them that way?

Maybe that's why I enjoy sewing so much. I'm always amazed at the projects I make and tend to take a little longer than really necessary to make them. I like to just hold them up and admire the wonder of stitches of thread that just made that sleeve, or that pretty gather, or that hem. Amazing stuff, thread.

Thread reminds me that it's the littlest things that hold us together. A thoughtful word, a smile of understanding, a nod of acknowledgement, an unexpected gift (thank you SO much... you know who you are!... that helped allow us to get all the school supplies for the kids). These are all the tiny, beautiful, often times unnoticed bits of thread that hold me together and keep me from flying apart.

Rips and tears are bound to happen, but if you'll notice, often times it's just a small stretch of thread that has worn away. All you have to do is replace that bad spot with a few tiny, new stitches and you're good to go. Sometimes I feel like I need some extra thread, and sometimes I try to be a bit of thread for someone else to help them mend a seam.

Yarn is like thick thread, too. Again, that's probably why I love to crochet so much. I take one, long piece of thread and knot it in different ways and make something useful out of it. That's cool. When you come to the end of one skein, you just work in the new piece and keep on going. The same piece of yarn, and you can use it to make a hat or purse or dress or cape or blanket or cloth. A skinny little piece of yarn, thinner than the width of my finger, and I can make a warm jacket to protect my kids, or a cozy blanket to cover a friend. Neat. Nifty. Cool. Awesome. Can you tell this never gets old for me?

Today, on 9-11, when we remember the victims and heroes of such a tragic incident, and how this thread bound together our country ever more tightly, I would like to remember all of my own 'threads', and thank them from the bottom of my heart for holding me together. You are what makes everything possible.

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