by M. J. Joachim

Created on: July 19, 2008   Last Updated: March 22, 2012

The Gift of Crochet

Money was tight. My husband had just been laid off. I was spending countless hours at work, just trying to keep us afloat until he could find another job. I needed a way to unwind. I wanted to do something that could take my mind off everything. I couldn't afford to invest in a new hobby. Even my cooking had to become simplified because food is so expensive. Suddenly, it hit me. I had a box of yarn in the garage. Years ago I would sit and crochet while I watched T.V.

Within no time at all, I was making a brand new doily. In a few short hours, I was starching and pinning my work so I could decorate my dinner table. Then I made our humble meal. When I called the family to dinner that night, my husband smiled, giving me a gentle hug while serving his plate. "You made a new doily," he said. "The table looks great tonight."

My daughter became excited as she exclaimed, "I want to learn to crochet too!" My son just said, "Cool, looks nice mom." The stress of the day disappeared as my family sat and talked about how neat it was that I could make such nice things with hardly any effort. My mind wandered a bit as I thought of selling my work on the Internet for extra cash. "No," I thought, "these are family heirlooms, treasures to be handed down."

After dinner, I went into the garage and began looking through my old crochet magazines and patterns. I searched through dusty boxes that had long been forgotten in the rush of life that was taking me by storm. I discovered beads, thread, and numerous hooks I'd forgotten about. There amidst my pile of memories, I found the very first doily my mom had ever made for me.

A rush of emotion came over me as I remembered moments from my own childhood, very much like the one that took place at my dinner table just a short time earlier. "Mom used to crochet to relax too," I whispered out loud. "She understood the pressures of raising a family."

My thoughts drifted as I thought of all the heirlooms her children had, and realized that she didn't have a single doily in her home. Suddenly it was crystal clear what I needed to do. Mom needed to have a doily of her own. She needed to feel the joy of receiving the gift of crochet, now that her arthritic hands couldn't give it anymore. The gift of crochet needed to come full circle.

As I sat down to watch T.V., I picked up my yarn and crochet hook. "Life is good," I thought, as I took note of the fun we had at dinner. Then I realized that circumstances change with the wind. Simple pleasures have a way of helping us cope when things are difficult, especially if they offer us an opportunity to make the world a little less stressful. Crochet is a gift, not only for the person making doilies, blankets, and other amazing things. Crochet is a simple pleasure that brings a smile to those who can marvel at its beauty.

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