Tapestry

Originally published January 13, 2006

For a long time I have seen life as a tapestry that we weave through our years. Like any weaving, it's hard to imagine the whole in the beginning...colors seem random and incongruous. Eventually though, a pattern emerges. Every experience, every encounter, every emotion is a colored thread in the tapestry.

A tapestry in progress is malleable...there may be a pattern, an idea of what you want the finished image to be...but you aren't locked into that.


The threads previously woven are integral to the whole...but the row you're weaving at the moment is mutable...and the finish can be whatever you desire.

I try to look objectively at what I've woven so far and when a pattern or color scheme isn't working, try to change it. I don't believe in trying to rip out threads in an effort to make my past more pleasing to the eye/heart/mind/conscious...but prefer to adapt the work of the moment to balance and complement the past. It is about moving forward, not getting tangled up trying to undo what's already done.

Maybe wisdom is gained in seeing the importance of every thread in the structural integrity of the whole and appreciating how the tone of melancholy compliments the tint of joy...how the hue of loss balances the value of love...and so on.


So when I look at my tapestry so far, I try to see beyond the grim mistakes and clashes in color schemes...beyond the tear stains (and blood stains)...beyond the beautiful strands, accidents of design and oh-so-rare moments of pure genius...and look only at the work overall. It is perfectly fine despite it's imperfection, simple for all it's complexity, incredibly strong because, in part, of it's weaknesses...and there is a LOT of thread left to weave.