I looked perplexed at the convoluted heap of yarn, which reminded me of Reignac-sur-Indre only much less beautiful. The concept simply eluded me. I had no trouble understanding nuclear magnetic resonance and aced that calculus test last Friday, yet I could not understand this simple knitting pattern. All the materials I needed were before my eyes, yet they did as much good as they would if they were in Cairo, Egypt. I let out an exasperated sigh and said a little prayer to help my cause.
I was raised …show more content…
I re-watched knitting tutorials, looked up knitting terms and finally re-attempted to replicate those foreign actions. My pride was unraveling, but that made me even more determined to beat the game. I concentrated with every atom in my being to get it right this time. Hours passed by before I looked down to check my progress and rubbed my eyes in disbelief. I had finished five rows perfectly without dropping a stitch! At this pace, I could finish the scarf within the month.
I woke up extra early on my Ma’s birthday to surprise her with my handcrafted gift. The excitement built up and I couldn’t wait to see her expression when she opened the wrapping paper. She met my eyes with that warm smile that never fails to inspire me and opened her arms for an embrace. She said the scarf was beautiful and that made me beyond ebullient.
I might have felt unpleasantly incapable when I first began to learn the art of knitting, but I was never discouraged. Not only had I acquired a new skill, but also a new mindset. Ma once told me that my only true enemy is my own self-doubt. When I overcome myself, I can overcome the world. Holding that wrapped scarf in my hand gave me the power to believe in my own potential. With that power, I gained the confidence to dream bigger, to not back down even when I am afraid of failure. With me, the wisdom that success is built on failure began to ring with more clarity than before. And of course, I learned that Newton’s First Law of Motion doesn’t just apply to