I threaded a needle, snipped and knotted, then rummaged in my mending basket for the shirt in need of buttons. A glance through the doorway beside my bench revealed the red light was still on in the three washing machines containing my laundry while back home, our washer waited for repair. I was stuck at the laundromat but that didn’t mean I had to waste time, and the summer heat made it too hot to sit inside.

This is how my mending session become a public spectacle.

Another driver, whizzing past on our town’s main thoroughfare, honked in passing. This kept happening, and I was completely mystified by it until passers-by stopped to comment on the memories my simple task stirred for them.

Few people take time to mend anymore, apparently. This surprised and saddened me. With people pressed for time and money these days, it also doesn’t make sense.

Let me explain what I mean.

Mending your clothes just takes basic sewing skills like knowing how to thread a needle, pin and sew a seam, and attach a button, so it isn’t that hard to do. Neither does it take a lot of time when compared to how long it takes to shop for replacements. Besides these two benefits, mending your clothes saves you a pocketful of money. Have you priced clothing lately?

You probably want to replace worn items, of course, but clothes can do with a little mending while they are still in good, or at least serviceable, condition.

When your schedule is already jam-packed, slowing down long enough to mend your clothes can feel counter-intuitive. Embracing a slower and richer lifestyle lets you shift priorities. It’s true that life’s tempests have a way of blowing in. but whether or not you are getting to simple tasks like mending can serve as a gauge to help you monitor which way the wind is blowing in your world.

Mending your clothes becomes easier after you create an area to store sewing supplies and your mending basket. Mending provides tactile pleasure, and you can savor it more fully by choosing a comfortable spot, having a cup of tea at your elbow, and listening to some music, a podcast, or an audio book while you work. Or just enjoy the quiet and a peaceful interlude with your own thoughts.

Mending can and should be a time you look forward to rather than a chore to get through.