I learned to sew as a ten year old at my grandmother’s side one summer. She was a brilliant woman who knew how to knit a sweater and to fashion fancy clothes for my Barbie dolls. She was a stickler for details, and she taught me to sew a button correctly and how to rip out a zipper when I wasn’t careful enough sewing it the first time. As a result of her talents, patience, and time, I not only learned to sew, but was also able to turn her tutelage into some real clothes. I made clothes for myself, bridesmaids dresses for me and my sister, and sundry other items over the years. I don’t sew like I used to but the skills Grandma Ger imparted to me are still present.

So why is it that with the skills I possess, I managed to have a pile of clothes that needed buttons replaced or a hem sewn? With a wild hair this past Saturday, I decided to tackle some of them. I threaded a needle with white thread and in 30 seconds had replaced a button that had make a jacket unwearable. I said aloud to my daughter, “Hmm, all this time, I have put off this task, and it took more time to thread the needle than to fix it.” It started me thinking. How many times do I put off a task that I could easily accomplish if I just dug in and started? After sewing four buttons and fixing the hem on a pair of pants, I was once again aware of my tendency toward procrastination as well as its deleterious effects on me. I have heard it said, “A stitch in time saves nine.” A lesson worth remembering for 2013.

Learner, Thinker, Writer: Maryellen Berry serves the Trinity School community as Upper Learning Department Coordinator. @fastwalker10