I was away last week and missed the opportunity to talk about my One Little Word on the last Tuesday of the month. I’m doing it today because 1) my blog, my rules and 2) I really didn’t want to skip a month of recapping my journey with Open.
Up until now this word has challenged me in some pretty major ways. Grief. Pandemic. Trauma. I was getting to the point where I felt like being Open meant pain.
Now, though, I think I have perhaps turned the corner with this word. I don’t want to jinx myself but I think that Open is finally starting to work for me in a way that feels exciting and full of opportunity. It’s kind of amazing, frankly. I don’t cringe when I consider the word now. I don’t roll my eyes and wonder what awfulness is coming my way by being Open.
This change in my attitude towards Open was brought about by a very simple thing: the latest field guide from Modern Daily Knitting. It’s called Open and I laughed right out loud when I read the announcement. It’s rather perfect, honestly, that a word that has been so challenging for me could be completely reversed by considering it in terms of knitting lace.
Yesterday, when I sat down to write this post, I looked back on my monthly posts about Open, just as I do every month. And I was struck by a sentence I wrote way back in January.
I . . . feel strongly that being open means watching and waiting for things to come to me in their own time.
So that’s my plan for the next few months with this word. I’m watching and waiting. And trusting that the things that are going to come to me are to teach me lessons. To help me grow. To show me new ways of living and loving.
And I’ll be knitting some lace, too.
I think the pandemic is teaching all of us that being patient and waiting for things to happen in their own time has to be the way. I hope watching, waiting, and lace help you along your journey.
How perfect, Carole…and I can’t wait to see the lace knitting!
That’s cool, Carole! I think it’s a great word… and that ANY word would be challenging this year. Everything is challenging this year.
If my knitting wasn’t focused like a laser on the Safe at Home baby blanket, I’d definitely be looking at that new MDK book… but I’ve barely even cracked it open! 😉
I’m only in my first year of this one little word thing, but what I’ve experienced thus far, and what I’ve seen from reading what all of you who have done it before have had to say, the word we choose ends up being pretty perfect and often in ways we couldn’t have anticipated. I’m glad to hear that Open is having a more positive connotation for you, and I hope it brings more good things from here on out.
I thought of you as well, when I saw the Field Guide Title! 🙂 Happy lace knitting… while you watch and wait!
I love this so much.
XO
And I believe good things will come…especially since you’ll be watching for them. xo
Good plan! I can think of no better way to be open.
You may feel like pain is the stronger part of “open”, but I see (in you) a person who has so much love and joy around her and who embraces that love wholly. Oooo, lace. Can’t wait to watch you dive in.