Normally, I do not stitch projects this small. They bring up memories of being stuck making Christmas ornament after Christmas ornament after Christmas ornament for my mom. We would put them in those cheap plastic gold ornaments, which are now considered vintage, and then they would just disappear. Really not sure if my mom gave them away or just misplaced them.  I just never really got over that sense of endless boredom of stitching nothing but Christmas ornaments.

However, I have found myself in a slump both mentally and physically. Everything in my life has fallen apart. I find myself using survival skills that I developed in childhood while at the same losing any sense of self-worth or joy. I even quit stitching because I just crawled into a black pit, covered myself with a warm blanket, and decided I did not want to be a member of society any more. The funny thing is society was not finished me.

I received encouragement from family and friends including my daughter who sent a song called Bulletproof by Jamie Fine. It's about someone explaining why they are bulletproof and who taught them and that the lessons they learned will be passed down. The stupid song makes me cry every time I listen to it but it also made me think. My daughter came into that dark cave and brought a tiny spark of light with her.

That light landed on this strawberry which is a small project that stirs up all those feelings from childhood of boredom and wasted time. But, maybe, that is where I need to be right now. Starting over with small projects like this strawberry to find my self-worth and my joy. I am planning on turning it into a coin purse like in the image and putting it up for sale. I just need to find a 4 1/4 sew in purse clasp.