By Ashlie Miller
Does the weekend weather have you bundled and boarded up for maybe the next few days? It may be the perfect time to recalibrate a slow restart for 2026 and embrace your “Granny Era.” In case you haven’t heard the term on TikTok or from GenZers the last few years, it is embracing the crafts and hobbies of our grandmothers – think crocheting, painting, making things you could easily buy (like candles and soaps), and completing puzzles (hence, last week’s piece I wrote).
I embarked on an embroidery journey last year thanks to a Facebook stitch-along called Abide Embroidery and some sampler sets I found on Amazon. I continue to write in a journal with an ink pen instead of an iPhone app and began copying parts of the Bible in my handwriting. Time will tell if I prioritize and stick with these projects, but they have done a lot for my daily disposition as I incorporate my day with these slow endeavors.
Why are so many embracing handicrafts and hobbies of yesteryear? One need not be enlightened to realize why, when everything is fast (fashion, food, and even answers and counterfeit relationships). We crave stillness, rest, being fully present and undistracted, and dare I say a chance to develop patience and steadfastness. There is much to learn in the deliberate and steady acts that accompany the crafts and activities my grandmothers embraced.
Winter presents us with its occasional gifts of long, quiet evenings. I do believe each week in January has had at least 10 days in it! While the trees and plants are in their dormant state, not resisting their rest, we can ask: how are those around me affected when I resist seasons of rest, refreshment, and renewal? Do I journey through the rest of the year with a depleted disposition?
I consider Jesus during His time on earth: He walked everywhere, would withdraw from crowds after a gathering to spend time in conversation with His Father, but would be fully present when the crowds gathered, or the individual sought Him. He was at least a second-generation carpenter. He may not have had to take the time to measure twice and cut once, but surely He did not rush the process. Though we read the word “immediately” often in the New Testament, especially in the gospel of Mark, to convey the sense of urgency and limitations of time of Christ’s time on earth, it is clear that He was deliberate with His time.
In our highly productive world, there is the ever-present pressure to focus on multitasking towards many accomplishments. What if we turned our attention to being, well, attentive? Noticing things. Training our mind and perhaps even our fingers to be intentional in not laziness and idleness, but in activities that invite our full presence and solidarity of focus on a simple task. To breathe, enjoy, rest, and allow quiet growth.
Maybe this weekend of the unknown weather results, some canceled plans, and possibly being homebound will provide us all with opportunities to embrace our own “Granny era” and maybe invite a young person finding their own into our circle.
Now, where did I set that pin cushion?
