Baby sampler

I finished this cross stitch baby sampler today which I have made for a colleague due in January!

Stitching is very therapeutic for me and I sit most evenings and do a little whilst watching a movie or whilst my husband watches something he likes.

This evening I started a Christmas piece given it is approaching and they take a long time!

I have been very inconsistent with blipping lately which owes to my own personal struggles. I met a friend and fellow blipper for coffee yesterday and we chatted about my problems and also difficult times in her life and both acknowledged that in fact everyone has struggles to one degree or another, at different times in life and they may affect us differently depending on how emotionally fragile we are at the time..

The important thing in my life right now is that I am facing my difficulties head on. The road ahead is likely to be full of bumps but I’m ready.

My friend suggested getting back to blipping because in the past I have found it so helpful in terms of my intentional awareness of the world around me, being mindful, and also because of the wonderful support that the community seem willing to offer.

Something else that stood out in our conversation yesterday was that we have to take care of ourselves because nobody else will. That is my aim at the moment. I will take each day one at a time, just like everyone else, try to be kind and compassionate towards myself - I’m pretty good at doing this to others but acknowledge I’m not as good at treating myself in the same way!

Today I carried on reading my book club book, a Gentleman in Moscow, which I started yesterday. I’m already hooked!! It’s set in 1922 and some of the words, I admit, are unfamiliar to me so I have been looking them up. Today I looked up the word “inimitable” which means so good and unusual as to be impossible to copy. Perhaps we can look at ourselves as being inimitable- all totally unique. We can learn to accept ourselves for our uniqueness, the good things and the not so good, and try not to worry about the opinions others may have about us because they are just that - opinions - and this means they are not necessarily right.

Today by reading, and stitching, I felt I was looking after myself - I felt very tired and drained after a busy emotional week and resting in this way hopefully means that I will recharge a little ready for what tomorrow brings.

I hope you have all appreciated your inimitable selves today and treated yourselves with kindness xxx