Tiny Tarot Story
“You are absolutely too old for a new hobby,” he told himself, standing at the doors of an art supply store. The same one he’d passed on the highway twice a day, to and from the office, for twenty years. A few weeks after he retired, his son invited him to Applebee's for lunch. Said he didn't want him languishing. He waited until his son
drove away before walking to the Michael's.
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“You are absolutely not going to go down the yarn aisle,” he said, already on his way. He reached out to touch a purple ombre wall. When he was a boy, he’d go to his grandma's for the summer, and sit at her feet while while she knitted. “I’ll teach you to knit, as long as you don’t tell,” she said, when he asked. So he got good, but only in the summer.
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“You are absolutely not going to buy anything,” but he did, of course he did, $100 dollars worth. Kept it in bags in the trunk of his car. As if those needles and yarn were a thumping heart he had to protect so it didn’t get broken.
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Valentine's Day was in two months. At night, when his wife was asleep, he’d sneak out to the living room and pull the yarn over the needles, Duck Dynasty playing in the background. Lost in the movement, he was able to remember his grandma's smell (lavender), his jeans (grass stains on the knees), the summer (the only season of relevance).
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Two weeks later, his wife slammed down the coffee so hard it spilled onto his hand. "I know you're sneaking out," she said. Wordlessly, he got up from the table and brought back a flimsy red trail, meant to one day become a scarf.
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He said he couldn't explain it, but retirement felt like summer. And when it was summer, he knit. He said the joy it brought him was like time travel. Boundless. She shook her head. "All these years and I still don't know you," she said. "What a delight." Then she said, "Teach me." So he did.
Page of Wands Musings
Today’s story is about the Page of Wands. The Page of Wands is here to remind you that even though your younger selves may be days, years, behind you, you can bring them back by closing your eyes, saying you love them, and asking them to remind you of what you’ve forgotten.
The Page of Wands is a jolt toward discovery, a step toward exploration. Take the step! You may find something wonderful. You may find yourself.
Reflections
Journal Prompts
When was the last time you had a conversation with your inner child? What did he or she have to say?
What in your life brings you joy? Is joy something you seek out regularly?
Would you call yourself an optimistic person? Why or why not? And how does this answer make you feel?
Start a Story
Write a story of your own inspired by the dynamics present in the Page of Wands, starting with this sentence. If you email me your story, I’ll share it in the next newsletter.
Of course he said yes. Why not? It was only going to be a week.
It's so heartwarming to see when the wife asked him to teach her ❤