Sewing from Scraps: (a Real-Life Update)
One step forward (no matter how small) is transformation in action. That’s just one thing my mom’s teaching me in her recovery from knee surgery (and what I’m trying to remember, too).
Howdy, friend! I’m back! Again. 😄
I always come home to this space.
It might take a week, a month (or let’s be honest, sometimes even years). The real ones who’ve been here since the beginning KNOW how it goes. But I always come back, because I can’t stay away.
So! I wanted to share a quick (personal) check-in, from the messy middle of yet another new season... all patchwork and paradox...
Lately, life has been a blend of exhaustion and gratitude, sun-showers and sage, fast food and slow, healing rituals...
Some of you may not have heard: my super-SHEro, octogenarian mom had a total knee replacement twelve days ago, and I’ve been in full-on “caregiver mode” ever since.
Our days (and nights) are filled with new routines: timed meds, stretches, exercises, ice packs, physical therapy, home health visits, and the support of friends and family who’ve sent (much-loved) flowers, (much-needed) casseroles, and (always appreciated) healing vibes.
Lately, my role has been: chef, nurse, advocate, scheduler, driver, housekeeper, dog wrangler, coach, and (sometimes) reluctant social butterfly.
It’s... a lot. And it’s totally worth it, because I can already see such improvement and relief for my mom and some of the chronic pain she’s been carrying.
Needless to say, my work (both personal and client) has been (mostly) paused, or happens in short bursts, in-between bedtime and midnight (with an eye on my email and an ear open for Mom, just in case).
I’m (mostly physically) tired in brand new ways, and my creative bandwidth shifts day-by-day (and hour).
Right now, I’m living and creating in fragments...
Sewing [metaphorical] quilts from scraps of time and energy,
And giving myself permission to be a little bit... undone...
In between all these things, I like to step outside and breathe, turn my backyard into my private sanctuary, and... talk to myself...
Partly to process, partly because it’s how I know what’s true (for me).
My (literal) voice is more than just a creative tool for informing others; it’s how I move energy through my body and my world. It’s how I make sense of chaos, and it’s how I let myself BE.
And here’s the truth (for me): My mom is a total rockstar and is improving by the day (even when she can’t always see or feel it herself). She keeps getting up and taking one more baby step through discomfort, reaching toward something new and better.
Watching her move forward, even on the tough days, is a masterclass in patience, transformation, and hope. She’s teaching me, all over again, what resilience and love in action look like.
If you’re in your own season of life where your creative projects are on pause, your house is full of guests (and messes), or you can only capture your ideas in scattered voice memos and scribbled notes... you’re not alone.
This is what tending to life looks like, while also trying to create something new. It’s messy, it’s real, and it’s a season that asks us for the most patience... with ourselves, with our creativity, and with the process of change, itself.
So, consider this a little love note from me to anyone else piecing together creative moments and new ideas (or knees!) from captured threads and scraps of time.
This is just one of the things I’m learning from my mom right now (and this wild season of healing): One tiny step forward (no matter how small) is transformation in action.
Much love, more soon,
Aaron
P.S. If you need permission to be a little undone too, this is it. AND if you want to hit reply just to share where you are (or any words of encouragement for me—or mom!)! ⚡️❤️⚡️
Aaron Embrey