I was very fortunate to have such a wonderful mother and I think God for her everyday. When I was just a little girl she encouraged me to be creative. I always had crayons and paper, and got tons of praise for my drawings. She taught me to sew at a young age, first with sewing cards, and then I stitched a whole week of "Day of the Week" dish towels she picked up at our local five and dime. I loved picking out the floss colors, threading the needle, and discovered the joy of pulling thread through fabric. I've never lost that thrill. I think that's why I make most of my quilts by hand.

As I got older I started getting more ambitious. I always had an art project of one kind or another in the works. My parents and teachers recognized that I was gifted in that direction so I was encouraged from multiple directions. My mother was also very creative although I don't think she ever recognized how gifted she was. Her home was her project and every year she would pick out one room to redecorate. I spent many hours with her shopping for furniture, home decorating fabrics, and wallpaper patterns. The amazing thing is that even when I was very young she trusted my instincts.

However, although Mom and Dad were encouraging, they also had no problem calling me out when I wasn't working up to my potential. My mother, particularly, gave me a lot of grief about rushing through my sewing projects. I had terrible technique because I was young and just wanted to move on to the next thing. It took me a while to figure out that working on my technique opened a whole other door to what I could do. Thanks Mom, for not letting me slide.

Not everyone gets the amount of encouragement and recognition they need or deserve. It's a shame, but unfortunately, it's a reality for many people, Those of you who don't feel validated need to find a way to be that kind of parent for yourself. Be honest with yourself, but that doesn't mean to only be negative. Honesty can work in a positive way as well. Even with all of the support I got, I sometimes have to tell myself that I'm on the right track and working towards achieving my goals.

I've always thought that being kind to ourselves is extremely important. Society tends to look at only the negative. Just think about it, do you ever see good news on TV? Disasters, tragedies, and crimes rule the airwaves. I think that over the years we've all become more negative. It's hard not to be when everything is cast in that light. Gloom and Doom. We don't need more of that!

I used to be the kind of person who only saw the negative side of things. Everything was about what was wrong instead of what was right. Even though I got loads of encouragement, I still struggled with being honest with myself in a positive way.

It feels weird for most people to feel good about themselves. Some of us were raised to be humble, but many today are influenced by social media and compare ourselves to what we see on our phones and computers. It's well known that many "influencers" use filters to make themselves look thinner and more beautiful. They also lie, lie, lie about how wonderful their lives are. So much of what we see isn't even true. How sad is it that people compare themselves to something that isn't even real? It's discombobulating at the least, and soul murdering at the worst.

What finally cured me of thinking about everything negatively was to notice how often I did it. When the first thought that came into my head was negative I'd try to replace it with a positive thought. Over time it became more of a habit for me. I'd focus on the positive first and deal with the negative later.

So, the next time you make a mistake cut yourself some slack, learn to laugh about it and learn from it. It's not a disaster. And, as for encouragement, look inside. Your chatterbox can be used for positivity as well as negativity. And for those of you as old as I am, remember the old Bing Crosby song.

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive

Song by Bing Crosby