Finding where you fit in the world is never easy. Using words to express frustration often lets us explore a side of ourselves that may not have been apparent initially.

Who am I ?

This seems to be a common question

To be honest it changes with what threads i use

as they are all viewed with different meanings.

For some my threads are too confusing,

the colours too bold,

the patterns too different.

But thats what makes me, me.

That's my identity.

It's the thread that sews the quilt of my life.

The material, made of my personality, experiences and the world that I see.

Filling my quilts with colour and character.

But quilt making isn't so easy.

And sometimes all i see are

ripped stitches,and holey fabric in need of mending

leaving me questioning

Who am I ?

But there is beauty in all broken things.

And not every hole is ugly

I remember my grandmother told me

as she mended my ripped seams.

I have come to the realisation some quilts are a lot larger than mine

Some have more patches,

some more fabric,

some in need of more mending

However they are all works of art.

There is no class called identity for beginners,

No shortcuts. No quick stitches.

As my peers and I have come to see

We all have own pieces

And the convention of being

Are applied though our own seams

Some are straight and simple,

Some unruly without backstitching

Some multicoloured thread

all our quilts are unique.

They are mistakes, heartbreak and lessons.

I often look back on those beautiful patches

I remember the lessons they taught me

I find guidance and solace in their imperfect pieces.

Throughout life there are a lot of wrong stitches,

ripped seams and patches of mending

They make you and me who we are.

Every experience changes us for better or for worse.

That's my identity

That's Who I am.

Written by Eilish Bates.