Feeling Thwarted?
“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”
-Robert Burns
If you’ve ever spent significant time around children, you’ve probably been a witness to a meltdown or two. Or twenty. I remember asking mine, on more than one occasion, “are you feeling thwarted?” For one of them, it usually brought on a snort or giggle.
We’ve avoided the meltdowns (so far!), but you could say there’s been some minor thwarting this week.
Big thunderstorms (that I love) brought monster straight line winds that took it upon themselves to relocate my hanging plant and subsequently kill the baby birds in the nest that were also in the planter.
I killed a pretty little houseplant with the personality of an overripe avacado. It would go from perfectly fine to death’s door of dehydration in 2.5 milliseconds. I didn’t hit it with the water in time earlier this week, so we can add another count of herbicide to the charges against me.
Then there was The Coffee Making Incident of 2025. I’m not ready to talk about it. I’ll just say no one was injured, everyone was eventually caffeinated, the cabinets and drawers are now especially clean, and we are officially sitting at 3 Days With No Kitchen Incidents. I’m not sure my bathrobe will ever be the same.
More seriously, we’ve spent a good part of the week doing the things that people need to do when difficult times come to a loved one. They’re challenging, unique, sacred times of loving and caring for one another, and they can make well-laid plans disappear in an instant.
A couple of weeks ago, a yarn shop owner was patiently explaining to Greg why it is absolutely necessary to have multiple knitting projects going at the same time. One should challenge your brain when you need the distraction and escape. One should be simple enough that you don’t need to pay much attention to it as you talk with people around you. And one should be so incredibly brainless that you can do it when you’re distracted, hurting, worried, stressed, or otherwise need the comfort knitting can bring.
I was reminded of that this week in the hospital waiting room as I worked on a new sample of the Creighton Sock Pattern. And you know what? I wasn’t alone. I saw a fellow yarnie across the waiting room busily building something with her crochet hook. We shared a quiet nod of solidarity and empathy. It wasn’t the right time or place for a conversation, but it didn’t really matter. I felt like we’d communicated without words:
Challenging time, I know. I’m sorry. It’s good to have something to do with our hands, isn’t it? Feels a little less frustrating when we can at least do something. I hope the best for you and the ones you love.
How about you, friend?
Are you feeling thwarted? Have you given yourself the opportunity to engage in a little creative therapy? Let me encourage you to take some time to (at the very least) set yourself up so that you are prepared for when you need that therapy. Find some craft that you enjoy, even if you think you’re terrible at it. Keep some supplies at hand, ready to pick up and use.
And if now’s the time you’d like to learn how to knit so you can enjoy the benefits of this portable therapy, I’d love to help with these free, ad-free videos.
Who knows what beautiful creations will come out of our occasions of being thwarted?
Happy knitting!
Kiersten J
