My grandparents on my father’s side come from Mayo and Cork. I see the ruddy complexion in my boys (and me) is a ‘thing’ for those of us with Irish ancestry 🙂
When I first sat down at an antique wheel it was as though something ‘clicked’ in my hands. My hands knew what to do before my brain caught up. I suspect something like spinning, a skill with such a long history, is carried in genetic memory.
While I can’t speak for my ancestors, who may very well have hated the task, I can say that spinning gives me comfort, a time to meditate, a peaceful space in which to contemplate everything and nothing.
I’m glad your hands still can do it.
Awesome video – thank you for linking to this!
I think there is something to be said for ancestral memory – at the very least, I think it can manifest as a general affinity for certain things. A part of this seems to come to us in the womb … while it also seems relatives who pass from this world also tend to leave a little behind as they depart. I’ve always been fairly keen when it comes to history, for example; but when my mother passed, along with a few other things, I seem to have also inherited her knack for trivia.
I’m glad you found something that helps you to connect with your ancestors 🙂