Small, Incremental Progress

5/31/2026

Heather K. donated this green crocheted blanket / table cloth and then showed us how to add stitches to it. We'll use it as a patio umbrella cover for summer shade in the park.

Do you ever feel you're waiting for a cataclysm to blow out the tension of living in this timeline? Sometimes I remind myself we aren't in a movie so explosions and violence won't resolve the problems we face. We do, however, need catharsis and relief - so what can we do? I'm drawn to collaborative, creative response: Creating together as a way of engaging with external events.
I prefer to have quality of experience rather than quantity (volume of burgers served!). Often our gatherings are small - but they never feel insignificant. The conversations are helpful and interesting. Hearing other perspectives and stories is healing and joyful. Meanwhile, the upcycled crochet umbrella cover grows larger each week; daylily and crocosmia leaves become baskets; fingerless gloves are stitched into usefulness;, and embroidery flowers become a garden.
A core parenting strategy from The Whole-Brain Child by Dr. Dan Siegel and Dr. Tina Payne Bryson advises parents to address a child's emotions first (connect) before attempting to teach a lesson, set boundaries, or solve problems (redirect).
At the fieldhouse, we're likewise giving ourselves a nervous-system reset: working with our hands in ways our ancestors did, talking with each other. We also bring some of our dreams, aspirations (our world-mending) into our crafty reflecting pool - to share and build together. It's subtle, but week on week our connections grow, and I hope that building trust in these small groups supports everyone in the rest of their life. We also have the option to (Re-)direct our focus toward what we care about: actions that uplift people, provide mutual aid, educate, strengthen society, or keep our planet healthy. Even though I know what we are doing is small, it feels like we are building on solid ground. I'm looking forward to looking back on what has happened. I have a hunch that all this small incremental progress is leading somewhere good.