In
knitting as in all other endeavors, I always try to do the best job I
can. There's no point in doing a thing if you're not going to give it
your best effort. But sometimes we push past the pursuit of
excellence and pine for perfection. It's then that we often lose
the joy of the project, which was the whole point of the undertaking
in the first place.
To
combat that loss, I've given myself freedom to be human and make
mistakes in my knitting. I forgive myself for errors that have crept
into my work despite my best efforts to keep them out. I do try to
make things right if at all possible. If the mistake isn't too many
rows back, I force myself to undo what I've done and do it correctly
the second time around. And there are other considerations; if the
project is a gift, I'm more likely to correct mistakes than if it's
for my own use only. But mostly I use my “joy meter” as my guide.
Since I'm knitting for fun, I ask myself whether the nagging presence
of the error will bother me more than going back and fixing it
will...and then I act accordingly. And I live with whatever decision
I make.
Life
is a lot like a giant piece of knitting. We go along day to day,
doing the best that we can, knowing that we're bound to make mistakes
along the way. Thankfully God gives us more grace than we frequently
extend to ourselves! How much more we would enjoy our earthly stay if
we would learn to correct what errors we can, apologizing to those
affected along the way, forgive ourselves for things we simply cannot
change, and strive to live, love, (and knit!) better each and
every day!
“Whatever
your hand finds to do, do it with your might...”
(Ecclesiastes
9:10 NKJV)
It is so easy to get caught up in pursuit of perfection. It is important to find a good balance. WeekendsInMaine
ReplyDelete