Gift of Jewels

Gifts of Jewels.....

We have a choice in this life of turning towards people, or turning away. That sounds like a simple statement and generally it's an easy choice. However, if you have ever been hurt you know that turning towards people, especially the person that hurt you, can take a heroic act of the will.

It's all about participation in life's experiences that makes the journey fulfilling and memorable. For that reason, I try to chose to turn towards people, and the Internet provides a mind boggling number of opportunities for doing so.

Recently, I participated in the Gift of Jewels hosted by Se'Lah, a woman with a wonderful heart and a passion for celebrating life as well as reflecting on quiet moments of solace. Her blog, Necessary Room is an inspiring and caring place to visit.

I think the metaphor for the Gift of Jewels is that we all gave the gift of ourselves. Therefore we were the jewels sparkling and bringing light into the world. It was purely about letting someone know that they were special, for no particular reason. Just because. My Gift of Jewels arrived around the time we lost Mr Puffy, and I received a beautiful caring note of condolence from Carol who happens to be a talented artist. The note card (pictured below) is of her artwork and her words of sympathy were heartfelt; it's now kept in my "keep forever" file. You can see more of Carol's beautiful artwork on her blog, My Painting Room.



It was my pleasure in the Gift of Jewels to be assigned to Elizabeth, a woman in Denmark who, be still my heart, is a skilled embroiderer and a pure delight. She too was going through a difficult time with a serious eye condition at the time and my note arrived when she also appreciated some kind words. Her blog is a lovely place to visit filled with beautiful inspiration for drawing, sewing, and writing. Go see Elizabeth at Landanna and enjoy.


Not everyone reading this has the time or inclination to write a blog. But blogging and reading blogs has been a very positive influence in my life and is an example of how you can turn towards people. The picture below illustrates what I mean. In this picture (taken this past weekend) you will see a scarf I knit (originally blogged here) that was made with yarn I won on Theresa's blog T Does Wool and a vest I knit (originally blogged here) that is embellished with buttons I received from Kim of Chronic Ennui as part of our Magic Yarn Ball swap. These woman, and others I have met on-line, have become wonderful friends and I would not be the knitter I am but for my participation in the on-line knit community.



Until next time, be well and love well and, perhaps, think about ways in your life that you turn towards or away from people.