Sore Fingers

In the past, about this time of year, I’ve constructed a craft project that is extremely hard on my fingers. In a swampy area near my house grow bushes that have thinner straight offshoots which are easy to cut and harvest. Bundled and wired securely together, they become an integral part of the project, but these sticks aren’t the cause of my sore fingers. Another tree that thrives in the swamp is the reason for my pain. Several crabapple trees share the marshy area with cattail reeds, blackberry brambles, and grasses. The trees’ thorns are the problem. Collecting straight sticks is painless and easy, but collecting the branches from the crabapple trees is another matter. Avoiding their long, thin thorns as I harvest the limbs is a challenge.

Once the straight sticks are wired into two bundles, I intertwine and wire them together to form a cross. The ends are trimmed and I cover the wires at each end with heavy twine, rawhide, or shoelaces to camouflage the wires. The collected thorn filled branches now become a large part of my concern. The task challenges my safety as I attempt to weave them into a tight circle. The braided circle of thorns are to represent the crown of thorns that Christ wore with his trial before Pilate and when he was mocked, spat upon and beaten with a cat of nine tail-like whip before his crucifixion.

Each time I weave the branches of thorns into a circle, no matter how careful or cautious I am, those rapier barbs pierce my fingers and hands. Sometimes the tips bury themselves beneath my skin and break off, requiring me to dig them out with a sewing needle and tweezers. The injuries always seem to happen on the mast tender part of my fingers and te soreness remains long after the imbedded tip has been removed. Because of needed dexterity, wearing gloves are not an option. The cloth gloves snag doing little to protect my hands from the thorns.

This year I made four crosses. They’re used as Easter decorations for a door or as a wall hanging. Tone is for my son’s family and now all of my children have a cross of their own. I made one as a birthday gift and one as a present for a discouraged friend. When another childhood friend saw a photo, and begged, I made one for her, too.