R is for...

Reality.

Reality is no respecter of dreams.  Well, that was blunt and to the point, wasn’t it?  It sounds dark and negative, but human nature is to dream in the face of reality.  The trick is not to let one’s dreams carry one too far from the here and now.

Dreaming about having a bigger kitchen or living in a different house all together may be the cause of a wistful moment or two.  Dreaming about ‘what might have been’ with our children can rob us of much more than a moment; we risk losing sight of the amazing gifts our children do present to us.

We’ve learned to let reality shape our perspective and priorities so that we can celebrate milestones like printing legibly, making a two-hour car trip without an anxiety-laden meltdown, completing a homework assignment independently, and accepting help without a tantrum.  Does that mean I never think about ‘what if?’  No, in fact, I do occasionally allow myself to dream a little bigger.  But who knows, maybe a bit of a stretch is a good thing sometimes, providing a little more encouragement and motivation; it might be just the thing to get over the last hump in reaching the next goal.

I admired a sock pattern for a long time, probably just as much because of the description as the photo.  They were a lace pattern, though, and more complicated than anything I had tried, so I tried to forget about them.  One way or another, they kept showing up on my knitting radar, so I decided if I could find the perfect yarn, I’d take the plunge.  Well, lucky me, no yarn appeared to be suitable, so I could disregard the pattern for good, right?  No, not that simple – all I had to do was locate the same yarn the designer had used, and that proved to be easier than I had imagined; I had to keep my promise to myself.  The socks ended up being a satisfying knit and the yarn was a pleasure to work with – so even in knitting, it’s a good thing to allow yourself a bit of a stretch to accomplish the next goal!

'Zinfandel' socks in Dream in Color 'Smooshy' yarn