Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Retreat

I don't usually write about my day job - there is the Dooce factor for a start, but also that my blogging life is wrapped up with my knitting life, my day job doesn't belong here. I work for the government, I love my job, my direct employers are kind, sensible people and my paramount boss is exceptional, thoughtful and takes no nonsense. I go to work, I do my job well, they pay me - it works.

Today I was very glad to come home and go to work at my designing job, today I walked out of the office and burst into tears, I cried all the way home, while I made tea, while I found stashed chocolate (Green and Black's "white" and I don't care that it isn't "real" chocolate - it tastes good and is full of vanilla seeds - that's good enough) and while I pulled out my knitting and settled into my armchair with Frasier snuggling in my lap.

I found comfort in these touchstones, modern day talismans and potions, we knitters all do - we find a way to work a little calm back into out lives with the rhythm of our needles.

I met a woman who was very sad today, she had very good reason, I talked to her quietly and smoothed her road as best I could. I wanted to bring her home and put her by the fire, feed her and help her feel safe again, but I couldn't - and I just have to trust that the others linking in to help her are moved the same way.

5 comments:

Julia said...

Oh Justine, that sounds :(

I am the same about knitting, and a design I am working on at the moment - I need them to help me destress in the evening. My husband really doesn't get it, I regularly hear 'do you have to knit tonight? Can't you just not tonight?' It pains me to think about not knitting!

Hope your day at work tomorrow goes well

Libby said...

Sorry to hear that you've had such an upsetting day. In my job I meet plenty of people who just seem to get thrown the hardest lives and it seems so unfair but I hope that the contact they have with me - makes a difference for them. Nothing like a cat to come home to. I use knitting to de-stress me too, I find it's much preferable to knit a skein of yarn than drink a bottle of wine!

Ruby Girl said...

That sounds like a stressful day, hope all is on the way to being better. Chocolate, tea, knitting, can't get much better than that for comfort.

Pooch said...

Hope your knitting and down time has softened the day for you and soothed the hurts.
Blessings.
:)

Donyale said...

I always thought you had a lovely inner calmness about you Jussi...I bet you helped that lady in the nicest way just by taking time to listen to her.

I am very glad that Frazier curled up in your lap...that would have been very comforting.

Hope tomorrow is better.