The Unmistakeable Clarity of Hindsight

After posting a couple projects and mentioning some great places to learn and create in the SoCal area, I decided to post something a bit more personal. One of the wise things to do in this life is, well, gain wisdom. Not the surety and cockiness that we all go through at some point as a teenager (and, no doubt, as older folks, too), but true soul deepening, connection reinforcing WISDOM. And let's be accurate here: knowledge or highly-esteemed education does not guarantee wisdom. Wisdom, I would say, is this: Gaining foresight through thorough recognition and study of hindsight. Blah, blah, blah, you say? Then try this old adage: I wish I knew then what I know now.

I have always been artistic; I inherited this from my mother who was an artist in her own right, and had such a joy in the simple beauties and fun of Life. When I was younger, I was constantly drawing or painting. But my Mom tried several times to get me interested in sewing. And although I always liked the idea of being able to make something from "scratch", I didn't have the patience to learn about cutting and placing patterns--i just wanted to be able to sit at the machine and sew. It's doesn't really work that way, Duh. (that's a stunning revelation, huh?) I could draw, why did I need to sew, too? (insert eye roll here).

Now that I've matured a bit (well, kind of) and have a daughter of my own (almost 4 yrs old), I wish I knew then what I know now: The simple joy of sharing with my daughter the time, energy, love and bonding that goes into the passing down of creativity, of sharing in a home art. Being creative has always brought me joy, and what a great thing to be able to pass onto your child. But, as mentioned before, I lacked that kind of foresight. Now that my own Mother has passed away, I (unfortunately much too late) finally "get it" of why, for a time, she tried so hard to get me to learn to sew (and cook, too). She not only wanted me to have a practical knowledge, but she wanted to share and relish the moments of Mother-Daughter time.

Now that my little girl has shown interest in fabric, color & crafts, my head is spinning with all the possibilities of things we can make together. But it's a bittersweet feeling whose downside is this: along with that recognition of possibilities come with the sadness of realizing what joys my Mom & I could have had, had I not been so shortsighted. It breaks my heart to know that I denied my Mom that experience. If I can pass anything along to my daughter, I hope, at the very least, it will be wisdom.