Tonights The Night

What a week. I feel as though I am going in thirty different directions and not accomplishing a thing, except getting rattled. If I had made time for myself to sit and knit a little each day I would only be feeling rattled a portion of the time, that is, when I goof up something and need Lilly to fix it for me. Most of the time knitting provides a calming effect, not only to me, but my family as well. Or at least the kids. I don't think my husband gets a warm, cozy feeling inside when he see's me sitting there with my needles clicking away. Rather, he's probably happy I'm doing something fun for myself, and since he's been married to me for 25 years he knows if I'm having fun I'm in a fine mood, and when I'm in a fine mood I'm not asking him to do any "honey-do's", which, come to think of it, might make him feel a little warm and cozy.

A few years back, my son who was about 8 or 9 at the time, asked me if I was going to knit that evening. I wasn't sure why he was asking so I asked him why he was asking, which is what you do if you don't know the reason someone is asking a question. Well, his reply made me pause. He had noticed that when I sat in my chair at night, with my dogs on my lap, knitting needles in hand, a fire glowing in the fireplace, the television on, (because the rest of the family wouldn't be sitting around doing a jigsaw puzzle or that would be a scene from Leave it to Beaver and my family doesn't qualify for the "peaches and cream" pureness of such a perfect family), a calmness would fall upon the room. A little homey and a little old fashioned, perhaps, but it would set the tone for the evening. All that was missing was a Yankee "Apple Pie" scented candle glowing from the kitchen.

Looking through the eyes of a child will make you see things you never see. Unfortunately, as we age and have life experiences our thoughts and views become much more complicated and we miss the simple beauty surrounding us. I couldn't believe I had never took notice. I knew I was calm and content, knitting away on a project caught up in the rythym, the beauty of the colors and the feel of the yarn, but I failed to see the rest of the family was being affected by this as well. Although I am often referred to as a "Jr. Psychologist" by my husband I can't say why this happens. Is it possible the kids feel my sense of contentedness and peace as I sit and knit and, therefore, they feel it too? Or is it the ambience of the room, a scene out of a Norman Rockwell painting, that we all crave from time to time? Whatever the reason, my family has been 'off center' as a result of my absence from knitting this past week. And dare I say I have been 'off center' as well? I've been going in too many directions, trying to do too many things and it isn't working. I know this as well as my family does. So, tonight's the night. I'm going to sit in my chair and knit for the sake of my family!