SPIROGRAPH

THIRTY DAYS OF THANKS AND GIVING.

DAY 2: SPIROGRAPH

This is what I call my Spirograph necklace. I bought it in one of those awesome boho hippie stores. The design, and probably the price, appealed to me. It’s soothing. It’s often referred to as a mandala which is associated with meditation. I can see the value in that. I love designs like this; they remind me of my favorite first grade toy… my Spirograph set.

Spirograph was a 1960’s phenomenon with its 18 wheels that spun around rings and racks to make all sorts of creations. I think my most prized part of the set were the pens… four of them in DIFFERENT COLORS! Black, red, blue, and green. Stop yawning Gen Z-ers, fancy fine point flairs didn’t come along until I was well into my high school years. Multichromatic spirograph masterpieces had four colors and we thought it was the best thing since sliced bread (which also hadn’t been around very long).

For our Christmas gathering, each family brings a new game to play. One year, I decided to buy a Spirograph set. Let me tell you what’s happened to that sucker… it’s now called “Super Spirograph” and it has 56 racks, rings, wheels, and a bonus diecast golden 50th anniversary commemorative wheel! Super Spirograph was a super hit. We now include it in all of our family gatherings. Cover the table with butcher paper, toss around a rainbow of flair pens, and pass around those discs. The kids squeal, “look at mine!”. The teens say, “pass me the football shaped disc and the fuchsia flair.” The adults take a break from scolding kids for eating even more sugar and melt into a mesmerizing visit to the circle of life.

Peppered into the Spirograph banter is the occasional, “Oh no!” “Shoot!” “Dang it!” and you know what happened… someone’s hand slipped off the symmetry resulting in an invasive line or curve that interrupts the soothing experience. Sometimes we start over. Sometimes we incorporate the mistake into a flower stem or alien antennae; dealer’s choice. There are more discs and pens and paper spaces… no harm, no foul.

I’m thankful for my Spirograph necklace and the memory of the delightful designs. I’m thankful for the Spirograph moments in my life. Quiet moments of reflection spin and twist into soothing plans and memories. Slipping off my intended path has forced me to restart or step outside of the symmetry with a new development. Regardless of the creation, I am loved by my Creator.

How is your Spirograph? Are your twists and spins messy or mesmerizing? Are your mistakes embraced with a new attitude? Can you add the mistakes to the design and still make something beautiful? Of course you can! You know why? Regardless of the creation, you are loved by the Creator.