Recently I have developed a passion for mending. I was invigorated by reading the books Mend! by Kate Sekules, and Visible Mending by Arounna Khounnoraj, that have all sorts of advice, instructions, and inspiration, e.g., for darning socks, or patching holes. While one of my daughters and her husband were visiting I worked my way through their torn clothing, and holes in woolen socks. I have moved on to shirt collars and ripped sheets. It feels so satisfying to me to take something that would be discarded, and make it usable again. Sometimes the item is even enhanced in the process. Hand sewing is a soothing activity for me. Fabric holds memories visually and through touch, and I revisit those memories while mending, and when wearing the items again. Sometimes I even re-purpose the item for another use. I can do hand sewing while in conversation with others, or while listening to something on audio. I wonder if I can take this approach to my torn emotions, or the ‘holes’ made by grief?
One of the reasons I go to our local farmers market is to get lost in the visual beauty of the fruits and vegetables and flowers. I take in all the smells too. It is a high spot of summer for me. I bought these beets even though they looked rather unattractive. When I got home, I decided to sketch them. At first, they just looked brown and muddy, but as I drew them, I detected subtleties. I thought about how things in our lives that do not look great on the outside, can reveal beauty and goodness nevertheless. And I haven’t even cooked them yet.links
