Balance

I thrive on order and checklists. I like to be busy but I also crave quiet alone time. I’m an introvert who is learning to force myself to be okay with periods of required extroverted time. One of the greatest blessings of homeschooling my children is that I am able to have a greater sense of balance within my everyday life. There is a time for household chores, schooling, and fun. We sleep a little bit later. We play a bit more. There is more time for creativity.

Today is our final day of the school year. As usual, with the onset of summer vacation, I am able to focus less on the kids school studies and more on my creativity. I will spend more time in the sewing room while watching them out the window directly behind my sewing machine. They will inevitably “drive” up to the window and ask me to watch them play a game or ask if they can have a snack. Our days will take on an even more relaxed nature. I’m ready.

I just recently launched Stone Gate Quilts with my first guild presentation. I shared my story about how I found quilting as a passion. I shared with them how I am continually finding my philosophy within the quilting world of art. It was a whirlwind of a weekend. I shared several new quilts that had never been seen before and I sold patterns. Those patterns were picked up by a local quilt shop. I was so excited and truthfully, still am. To see your goal start to come to fruition is amazing. I went home following that weekend trip with a huge to do list. An email to my accountant, getting patterns available online to sell, developing the patterns that were requested, and setting up an Instagram account, are among a few of the tasks to be done. What welcomed me home was an even greater list.

School had to be finished. Co-op had to come to a close. My grandmother passed away. Grief had to be worked through. Fear of making things official took hold. Home renovation projects grew. Kittens were adopted and would require more than I expected. All of these things are being methodically worked through. But each take time. Nothing can be rushed to completion.

During these days that are often so very discombobulated, I’m finding myself yearn to walk through the Stone Gate. I have a new pattern I’m developing and I can’t wait to see it finished. I’m trying to finish up another quilt that has been waiting in the wings. I have another quilt design that I have started that just needs to sit and percolate a bit more. Figuring out where the balance lies with raising a family and starting a business is still in its infancy stages.

You see, traveling through the Stone Gate is where I will find leveling of my creative outlet so that I can then give of myself a bit more to my family as I continue to gear up to further launch my business, prepare for the upcoming school year, and be okay with the variety of house keeping chores. My goal is to find a happy balance. I know it will be in flux and will need to change with each day on the calendar that passes, each growth phase of my children, and with each business goal. But balance is good and healthy and something to strive towards.