When to close a door

in #hive-1063162 years ago

Pottery_Abu1_1.jpg

"Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life." - Kitty O'Neill Collins.



Who said that growing old is easy? I guess nobody, right? or at least whoever says it doesn't mean it. And it's a bit contradictory because most of us want to grow old, but that doesn't mean the process is easy.

Today I spent the whole morning at my mother's house helping her dismantle her pottery workshop. And I spent the morning a little nostalgic. I can't imagine how hard this is for her.

My mother always had an artistic streak, although she never made a living from her art. When I was a little girl, I remember that she painted in oil, but a few years later, she discovered pottery as a true passion.

For years, making pottery was her favorite hobby. It relaxed her, and it allowed her to explore all her creativity. She experimented with lots of techniques, modeling, lathe, working with sheets, and extruders. But she also mingled materials.

I like all her pieces. But my favorites are the ones she did for a while to be mounted on wood, to hang on the wall, like the one at the beginning of this post. That one is at my mother's house, but I have some of those pieces at home.

My mother hasn't done anything in ceramics for some time. She stopped working after she had a bowel obstruction in 2019. However, she refused to dismantle the workshop with the idea of someday taking up pottery again, but then in 2021, she broke one of her wrists, and last year, she broke his humerus shortly before she was fitted with a pacemaker. So this year, she is facing it. She will never do pottery again.

So today, we were cleaning up the workshop and took inventory of all the tools and materials. She has a lot of everything. Some girls might want a lot of the stuff because they are starting to set up a workshop for themselves and to give lessons.

Pottery_Abu2.jpg

While I was cleaning the tools, and sorting them, I couldn't help but think about what it all must mean to my mother. It seems a little sad to me. You shouldn't get attached to material things, but many of those tools have a story and cherish memories for her. She told me some as we cleaned them.

At some point, she told me to break the pieces that were in the workshop that she never baked. I didn't have the heart for that and suggested that we ask someone else to bake them for her. She could even paint them later.

Pottery_Abu3.jpg

So at noon, I came home, and besides being full of clay dust, a little sad and nostalgic. For my mother, it must be really hard, making pottery has been an important part of her life. It's like closing a door that you know you will never open again. Hopefully, she can start doing something creative that is more in line with the limitations that age has left her with. Her arms are no longer strong enough to use the lathe or the extruder, but she could paint.

Pottery_Abu4.jpg

I still have to sort through all the pottery books she has and, of course, try to sell all the things from the workshop. I hope whoever gets them will put them to good use and enjoy them as much as my mother did.

That's all for today, thanks for reading.

All images and writing are my own unless otherwise stated.

© CoquiCoin

February 16, 2023

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Pottery has been one of the crafts that I wanted to learn doing, but seems really challenging and requires patience and creativity. I just hope I will grow old and still have the passion for doing something, like what your mom does.

I would have liked to have my mother's artistic streak, but I was never very good at arts and crafts.
Thank you for stopping by 😊

It must be so difficult for your mother knowing that she can never do something she loves so much. You mentioned the girls, it sounds there are people in the family who are interested to take up the hobby so at least someone who will carry on her legacy

The girls are three young women who are taking pottery classes with a friend of the family and are setting up a workshop for the three of them. I'm sure a lot of what my mom has is useful for them. My mom was always very creative and likes to experiment with many techniques so over all those years she has accumulated just about almost everything a potter could want. Thank you so much ♡

I feel for you mum, I can relate as I had to stop many sports because of my arthritis, being a good golfer when I was 14 but knowing I had peaked already because if my back was a hard pill to swallow so you poor Mum, give her big hugs Super Eli 💙

Thank you, Super Ed 💙

Always having to stop doing something we love because of some limitations is a bit painful. But we have to move on and enjoy the many other possibilities that life offers us, right?
I know my mom will start doing something else. She is very creative and loves crafts and is good at them, so she will do something.

And on another topic, hehe. I hope you are getting your energy back, Super Ed. This week I have the boots ready and I'll be watching you 👀 😉🌀

I hope you are getting your energy back, Super Ed

uff you have no idea!
So shower stopped working properly yesterday, all a bit suspicious after the boiler, now a new shower installed today and same problem, so the plumber who fitted the boiler is coming back sometime to fix the problem...

A right royal pain! I did post once this morning about tengotuesday and have threads post ready to go so I think today am okay!

How is Super Eli?

Oh! my gosh, Super Ed!! You can write a dramedy of your plumbing incidents lately.

I'm fine, Super Ed. These days have been relaxed ;)

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haha a dramedy yes!
Instead of making pancakes tonight it was washing Mrs. T's hair in the sink!

Hehe!! Well but you sure made her happy ;)

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Mrs T says to tell you that yes that is uncannily like her!

You have a lot of books there. That thing in the first photo looks interesting

I really like that piece in the first picture, thanks

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This is so sad to read. It must be so hard for her to deal with cleaning the workshop, knowing that this is probably the last time she will see the room in that state.

I wish your mother good health :))

Thank you for your good wishes :)

Welcome :))

That must have been really hard for her to close down the workshop.
I hope she will do okay, and I am sorry to hear about the series of incidents that happened to her.

did you find someone to bake the unfinished pottery that she made?

Oh, yes! There are a couple of people we know who can bake the pieces without any problem.

Thank you for stopping by :)

For my mother, it must be really hard, making pottery has been an important part of her life. It's like closing a door that you know you will never open again.

It sounded heartbreaking. These are life changies we cannot run away from. Keep doing your best to assist her.

I will, thank you :)

Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
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Thank you very much for the support:)

It's very sad. Such things cease to be just material objects. Creativity is put into them and they have changed.
I wish your mother good health!

That's right. It's a little sad. But life and years go on.
Thank you for your best wishes 😊

Oeffff I can imagine how hard this must have been for her.
Growing old isn’t fun at all and has many new challenges.
Bigg hugg to you and her. Hope she will find something else she will enjoy doing.
Have a wonderful day @coquicoin 👋🏻😊 🥰🌺

Yes, it's not fun really, especially when it forces us to leave behind things we really enjoy.
Thank you, Jackie!
Have a magic day in your winter wonderland 🤗🌱

You are welcome 🤗 I understand.

Thank you so much, will enjoy it ☃️😊 have a lovely day and weekend ahead!

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I thinking of getting old scares me and that means by that time I already lost my parents!😬
Can we do magic to stay as young as we wanted to be?

Wishing your Mom will find something to spend her time.

What scares me about getting older is becoming dependent. I still have my mom, but I lost my dad several years ago, and I miss him very much despite the time that has passed.

I also hope my mom will get some activity that will help her to unleash her creativity.
🤗😘

Ahhh, I wanna cry.🥺 This is so hard, leaving all your passions behind.😔 Now that you mentioned it, I don't know what to do seeing my mother get old and leave the things she loves doing. Thinking already breaks my heart.🥺

Hope your mother will continue painting, I think that's easy and light for her age.❤️

Thank you very much!
Getting older is not easy, but I am sure she will get something she likes, and even if it is not a new passion, she will be able to use her creativity.

If only we can choose to remain as strong and agile as we are during our youthful age.

I wish your mom all the best in finding something she will love doing again.

Yes, one of the hard things about getting older is that we are losing some skills and abilities, but that is the cycle of life.

Thank you for your best wishes 😊🌱

It must be really sad for your Mom to let go of those that she spent many memories with. Hoping she finds another love, or like you said, she can paint again. I wish you both the best as you sort them out, sis. ❤️

!LUV

Thank you, sis!
Yes, I hope she gets some other creative activity that she enjoys. My mom was always good at crafts. Unfortunately, I didn't get much out of her in that sense ;)

Ohgosh, that's so sad. I think one of the hardest things is watching someone have to give up the things that motivated, inspired and drove them. Pottery for your mother clearly seemed a passion. I'm sure she's said goodbye to it on her own terms, but that doesn't make it easier. For me, it's surfing - I am aware my time is running out. Who am I without that? I know I am many things, but ...

My father is an inspiration for how to adapt despite illness - he took up photography when he couldn't kiteboard any longer.

Yes, I believe she has said goodbye on her terms and now seems like the right time for her. She wasn't ready before.

Although leaving surfing someday will not be easy, you will move forward with the many other facets that are in you. For sure.

Have a lovely weekend:)


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Mi estimada Coqui. Hace mucho que no nos escribimos.

Un fuerte abrazo 🤗

!LUV

Hola Armando, es cierto. Espero que todo vaya bien por allá.
Un gran abrazo 🤗😊

!LUV

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Si, todo bien, gracias a Dios. Me imagino que por allá también, ¿cierto?

Que tengas un excelente fin de semana.

!PAL

Gracias e igual para ti :)

!PIZZA

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Oh dear Eli, you have me all tearful here! I know what you say about everything in your Mom's pottery studio having a story, that's exactly what makes it so difficult and very sad to let go.
I'm sure someone in your family would feel it an honour to carry her legacg forward, and delight your Mom as well, to see that her pottery tools are coming to life again, creating beautiful objects.
It's not easy seeing our parents slowly fading away. Someone shared a beautiful message about the ageing process, slowly stripping us down in readiness for a new glorious afterlife.
I hope you indeed find someone who will cherish you Mom's pottery equipment!

Hi, Lizzie

Yes, it is hard to watch them grow old and to think that with a little luck, we too will go through that. I hope that those who want the equipment and tools will put them to good use. For my mom, pottery was a passion and she accumulated all those things working for years. Fortunately, she is doing well and just a while ago we were talking about what she could do in that space, maybe start sewing again.

Happy weekend, and I hope you had a great time during your son's visit. 🤗🥰😘

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