Socks and Our Times

I began knitting socks 4 years ago after a year in which I lost my mother and a very good friend. This new project required concentration which provided a needed distraction from my grief.  The rhythm of the stitches brought me a sense of comfort. I delighted in my emerging sock and in the women with whom I connected during lessons.  I learned patience as redid some parts and laughed out loud when I tried on my first sock only to have it slide down my ankle. 

            After a long hiatus I picked up my sock knitting this past weekend. In the quiet, with only the gentle sound of my wooden needles and the feel of the yarn I remembered my ea

rly days of sock knitting. My thoughts then moved to today and what lessons my sock knitting offers in light of our current times of violence, separation and unpredictability. 

·                                 Just as stitch after stitch forms a sock so do our actions, prayers and meditations make a difference in our world as we practice daily.

·                                 Focus is necessary in navigating the anatomy of the sock. We are created by love for love…our task is to remove the barriers to love and to hold our focus amidst the changing world.  (Sometimes have to circle back and repair when things don’t go as planned.)

·                                We need company. We are wired from birth for relationships which nurture and help us learn the lessons of life (or in knitting). We are also often spurred into action by our compassion for another.

            May we each one stitch/step at a time persevere in our prayer, hold our focus on the call we have received, and seek to take actions which foster connection and compassion.

          Sr. Kimberly Porter, OSB