A Pocket Full of Memories

To decompress I often walk the beach picking up stones, tuck them in my pocket, and fill jars with my treasures to look back on. My pockets carry memories of thoughts I am working through, patterns, and textures I saw upon my stroll. I just completed a new design called, “Tasku” which is the Finnish word for pocket. Tasku is a linen pouch with a long shoulder strap that was created to carry such memories. It also conveniently fits my cell phone perfectly. The concept was that with one skein of linen, a beginning knitter could create a very modest but practical bag with multiple uses.

During this process my cell phone delivered the unimaginable news that my dear uncle Nubby had passed away. Suddenly the world shifted, and I realize that now and for my next forever’s I will be reviewing the memories of two lives well lived. These are the lives of my Aunt Betty (my mother’s sister) who we lost over a decade ago and my Uncle Nubby. High school sweethearts who married and defined to me what true love, honor and perseverance are all about. I could fill pages of memories, but for some unknown reason a singular memory keeps coming to the surface. My uncle Nubby always waited to fill the bird feeder until my girls got there so that they could each climb the ladder to experience pouring in the seed. Such a simple gesture, but in his tender and loving way he was showing my girls how important it is to take care of the little things in life.

Today I am home, I am sad, and I am processing. Pockets are important things. They hold what we want close to us. For some of us it would be our keys, our phones and perhaps some change. Today, my pockets will be filled with pebbles, driftwood and a hand full of birdseed.

Gail DeMeyere

March 8, 2023