I’ve mentioned here before that I’ve been working on jigsaw puzzles during this time of staying at home and avoiding getting infected with COVID-19. There’s something very meditative about the process – sorting out the edge pieces and laying them in place; sorting out the different colors; the satisfying feeling of setting the right piece in the right place; starting with a big messy pile of pieces and little by little bringing order to them. Apparently I’m not alone in feeling this way, because puzzle manufacturers around the world are reporting a huge surge in sales during this pandemic. This article in the New York Times talks about the sudden rise in demand for jigsaw puzzles and shows how they are made (another thing that makes this nerd happy: seeing how things are made).
My parents used to make jigsaw puzzles together. When I would visit them, I loved chipping in, helping with whatever puzzle they were working on. It was a bonding experience. Now my mom makes puzzles with my sister, with whom she lives. Her puzzles have fewer pieces these days, but the enjoyment, the satisfaction of completion, is the same. When we talk each night we often inquire about each other’s puzzle progress. Even 600 miles apart, puzzles are still bonding us.
And that makes me happy. xoxo
