Tonight was our monthly knit night.  I had a fun time sitting and chatting with some of our wonderful customers.  I wish I got more knitting done but I have to get over having gauge problems with the Tahki Cotton Classic I am working with.  Believe it or not I have had to switch to metal needles over bamboo for this yarn.  I would have thought the bamboo would have done the trick but alas my tension is all over the place these days.

Regardless I found out some pretty upsetting news is on the medical front for one of my favorite customers.  I was really disturbed and upset by it.  It made me think about how we all worry about each other at the shoppe.  The customers who have become like family worry about the people who work at the shop…are we taking care of ourselves, maybe letting the stress of retail get to us sometimes?  They always ask about our families, our children…all the little things that could easily be overlooked because really we are just the people who work at the LYS…but maybe something more?  Maybe a real human connection is going on here?

I often think about the customers who always greet me with a hug and kiss, who ask for my children and notice if I have lost a few pounds.  They tell me of the little things that are going on in their lives like I am a close friend…a condfidant…someone special.  And it makes me feel special…the amount of trust that one extends to another.  They are genuinely concerned for us all and it shows every time we see them.

I think thats a big part of being in a LYS…its not about the yarn sometimes…its about the people.  The human connection.  Knowing you are needed and wanted…someone needs you and respects you and wants you to be there…to listen or to hold a hand.  And its about the support we give each other…whether its the phone call during the day to reassure someone they made the right choice or its the sometimes untidy way we say, “Hey I am worried about you…please dont be so stressed.  It will all work out and be terrific”.

I am rambling now but I think in the end it is about the human connection…being there for one another…whether it be customer or coworker, friend or student.  Being able to support each other at this gathering place called the yarn store.