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Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Truth About Change

This doily was a wedding present from a family friend who passed away this year.

When I went back tonight to read my New Year's post from last January, I had to laugh. My goal for this year was to be less of a perfectionist, to be more "out of control." Oh, the irony. I had no idea how out of control I was going to be in 2015... 

A larger Cotton + Steel version of my mini typewriter quilt (tutorial here)

There were so many good things this year. My book, Sew Organized for the Busy Girl, was released. I attended my first Quilt Market. I packed up 37 years worth of memories and moved to the Texas hill country with my family. Yet in many ways, this has felt like a year of being taken apart and put back together again. I'm starting over on so many things. Where do I go from here? Where do I want to go? 

A rainbow pillow for a friend I've never met...

The truth about change is that it's hard -- even when the changes are good. When you've done things one way for so long, it's hard to imagine doing anything else. 

My beloved Kindle cover

The good news is that every one of these changes has led me to this moment in my life where I can truly say that I'm content. I get to do what I love in a home that I love with the people I love. And though I honestly don't have a clue where I'm going in 2016, it's okay. I'm taking things one day at a time.

The hexagon bag I made for Quilt Market

Back when I was in high school, I had to memorize the poem "George Gray" by Edgar Lee Masters from Spoon River Anthology, a book of poems that are meant to be autobiographical epitaphs for the residents of a small town cemetery. As it turned out, I had to perform the same poem for a speech recital a few years later as a college freshman. Perhaps it was a lesson I was meant to relearn, both in school and in life:

I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me--
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness, 
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire-- 
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.

Change isn't easy, but it's better than a lifetime of fear. I would rather go forward than stand still or, worse yet, slip backwards. So friends, may you and I lift the sail and go with joy to whatever God has in store for us in 2016.

Happy new year.

12 comments:

  1. This is just so refreshing! Thank you for sharing your meaningful words... I haven't had a moment to collect my thoughts for the new year, and hope to carve out that time soon. :)

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  2. Thank you for your wonderful post, it is most thought provoking!!
    Best wishes to you in 2016 :)

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  3. Bonne année 2016 à toi et à ta famille de France.
    Continue à nous émerveiller.
    Bonne journée.
    Amitiés
    blog: les ciseaux et les pinceaux de vero
    Please: Traductor Tank you

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  4. You have been a great inspiration to me this year and I wish you the very best year to come!

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  5. Love the poem, Heidi. Thanks so much for sharing. Wishing you and your family a blessed new year.

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  6. I realized decades ago that anything that isn't changing is dead (and even a lot of "dead" things change), and that made it easier to enjoy it. (Now, drama and chaos are a totally different matter.) Have a great 2016.

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  7. Lovely start to the new year! Thank you for sharing :)
    I will be starting 2016 with my brand new copy of your book which was under the Christmas tree! 😊

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  8. Great blog post. Looking forward to your posts in the coming year.

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  9. Beautifuly written! I can so relate to the fear of change even if it's for the best. I don't even like new years😂 that being said, I know we can trust The Lord to guide us along even when we can't see ahead.

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  10. Happy new year to you, Heidi! I loved this post. Change is hard (so hard!) but sometimes it is needed. It's nice to be able to look back and see how God uses it for good! Even if it is tough to go through. May 2016 be filled with blessings too numerous to count! xo

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  11. You have such a great style, Heidi. I've enjoyed browsing your blog today. Your big bear claw quilt has such beautiful color and balance. And I love what you did with the Fleet & Flourish fabrics too, especially the bag with lace for market. I hope that 2016 is shaping up to be a more peaceful year for you than it sounds like 2015 was. Blessings!

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  12. change is must and we cannot stop it at times, but we have to consider the fact that change is for the better and nothing else.loved this deep content and looking forward to more.

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Aren't you the sweetest for leaving a comment! Due to all the ads that bombard this section, I have to moderate everything first, but look for your comment to post in a day or two. Thanks so much for writing!