Getting better all the time

I’ve been in Seattle since baby Zoe made her way into the world last Saturday.  I’m so proud of my daughter Elizabeth and her husband Andrew - they’re sweet and thoughtful and determined to do the right thing for their new little girl - and they are managing beautifully.  My job here is to keep the new parents fed, be an extra set of hands, and tell them they’re doing a great job when they begin to doubt themselves. They are doing a great job, of course, but it can be hard to see the big picture when you’re exhausted, the baby is fed but still fussing, and yesterday’s strategies are not working today,

A few days home from the hospital Elizabeth sat down at the table and sighed, “It will get easier, I know, ” then added, “or rather, it won’t get easier, but I’ll get better at it,”  

Such wise words. 

Easy is so subjective, whether it’s caring for a newborn or making a knit stitch.  

What is simple and intuitive for practiced hands can seem like mysterious magic for the beginner.  And neither parenting nor knitting really get easier, we just keep at it until we get better.

Nothing is perfect, but the good news is that every moment, every stitch, is a chance to try again–a chance to practice and learn.  We do the best we can, and, as Maya Angelou said, when we know better, we do better.

Warmly,

Ellen