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.