This post is about sticks, knives and our souls.
But have no fear, a little sewing does creep in...
And so does my beautiful boy - who is making a rare appearance on As it Seams.
We've just enjoyed a calm and lovely Christmas, with time together as a family. And at last a few calm moments to write this post.
I wanted to share some thoughts, something I've been thinking about a lot. And it was about a month ago, as I sat down for two whole afternoons in an autumnal farmyard next to my boy, that those thoughts came together.
This is my boy, with his stick, and a sharp knife. It was a moment of complete simplicity. For hours he was absorbed by the movement of the blade against the soft green wood. I joined in, sitting next to him, attempting to carve a wooden spoon and a butter knife.
We were guided and supervised by this man, Dom, who exuded a calm confidence which he passed to this small group of children. I watched this little girl, aged about 10, using this axe with skill, boldness and a sense of achievement. It was a powerful thing that Dom was passing to his young pupils.
I'm sure this is really important for our children, helping them to feel bold, empowered and forge real connections between their hands, their imagination and the materials, whether it's wood or fabric. Don't you find that if you give children confidence and freedom their creations are limitless?
As we sat together in the farmyard with the calm of our knives and wood, we talked and listened to each other.
And I pondered. 'What is it about making stuff that is so good for us?'
Why do I want to make a wooden spoon when I could buy one for pennies in the local supermarket?
But a supermaket spoon would have no real value? I wouldn't respect it, understand it, or remember an autumn afternoon in a farmyard.
It would be just another 'thing' taking up space in my cluttered kitchen, made by a machine in a far-away country, by people who are paid too little, using the earth's resources.
I whittled, and thought, and pondered. and made this little butterknife.
I think it's the same with sewing. When we 'create' we gain much more than the thing that we make. We gain space in our heads, skill in our hands, connection with the people who create alongside us.
And we gain connection with what the world, right next to us, has to offer.
My boy spent hours whittling and creating. He made a sword and a butter knife to add to his whittled arsenal. I'm not too keen on weapons in our house, but feel a bit differently about hand-made swords, bow and arrows.
One day I'd like to be able to create something as beautiful as Dom's pile of handmade spoons.
One day I'd like to be able to create something as beautiful as Dom's pile of handmade spoons.
This is my kitchen spatula, it's a bit rough, but I'm still rather fond of it.
Christmas has just seen us celebrate by bringing a load of new toys into our house. We had a lot of fun, My boy loves his new Lego, Missy her new dolls' house. But these are not things that we really 'value'.
In 2016, I'm going to hang on to the lessons of those afternoons whittling. That it's real connections and creativity that are the truly valuable things...xxx
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