Last week I finished a doll I began hand stitching seven years ago.  |
| LiDoña Wagner Hearts & Flowers |
I had created the body first; it was hard. Not knowing what to do next I put my doll and all the materials in a basket in the closet. After doll had rested a couple of years, I tried making the apron. It did not go well so once again I quit. Another couple of years passed before I decided to tackle the face. It was really hard and didn't turn out as I had hoped, but I did it. Still thinking about the apron, doll went back to the closet for another year.
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| I am a sucker for symbols of transformation. |
When I had figured out the apron and actually made it, my heart soared. Enthused, I started on the hair. But then I discovered that the ribbon I’d cut for the hair was too short. Once again I quit. Last week for some inexplicable reason, I got Hearts & Flowers out again. This time I pushed aside my inner critic, by saying, “Whose hairstyle is perfect? Let it be.”
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| Anticipation of spring may have inspired finishing my doll. |
HAPPINESS
During this whole journey, the heart-shaped head of Hearts & Flowers doll inspired me to make small heart-shaped love notes to myself that i post on a kitchen cabinet. One such note reads HAPPINESS Sleep, Gratitude, Helping Others. I can’t recall if this is a summary of one article I read or several that I summarized. What I do know is that it precipitated creation of an evening ritual.
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| Perhaps it's anticipating Valentine's Day that got me off my duff. |
Each night before going to bed, I open my Gratitude Journal and record:
JOY = What brought joy into my life in the last 24 hours?
COMFORT = What gave me solace amid climate change and Covid’s ravages?
INSPIRED = What gave me hope or moved me to action?
GRATEFUL FOR = 3 or more as they come to mind – some nights it gets up to a dozen.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
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| What creative project is waiting in your closet? |
