“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.” -R. Niebuhr

The day has grown late, and I am awfully tired. I need to sleep. Last night ended early this morning as I finished weaving in the ends for what is my first sweater.

It’s made from acrylic tweed bought in various Daisos (100￥ shop). I had been collecting the yarn (22 skeins) to make a yoga mat for a friend, but it wasn’t the right material for her in the end.

Acrylic yarn is very harmful to the environment, even if it is inexpensive. I make no excuses for having bought it. Still, given that I had already done that, I decided that I would find some use for it.

Thus, I began making a large rectangle, and then another. I steamed blocked them and crocheted them together. I picked up stitches around the armholes to make sleeves. And then decided the sweater would be for me.

Without blocking it again, I put it on this morning. And I felt happy.

Yes, it’s acrylic. I cannot change that. It was the yarn I could afford then. What I could do, and have done, is make something from it.

And so…I made a sweater that is cozy, warm, and filled with my creative energy. The thing is, I see making this sweater as a bit like moments in life.

Sometimes we make the wrong decisions because it’s best that we can do (or know to do) in a situation. Unfortunately, we usually can’t undo those decisions.

However, we can choose to take ownership of the results of our decisions. We can choose to work with or through the consequences.

We can allow ourselves to be positively transformed through learning how to deal with the things we cannot change.

So, now I have made a sweater that’s like me: imperfect and unique. We both have problematic pasts that we cannot change. However, we are exactly as we are meant to be.

Thanks to my sweater for the life reminder. And thank you for reading.

D