More Than a Quilt

 

Last week my husband and I had the fun of watching our granddaughter graduate from pre-school. (My husband doesn’t quite understand the concept of graduation at that age but I have assured him that it definitely is a thing now.)

I was able to give my granddaughter her quilt that I had made from blue jeans and flannel shirts from her dad, uncles, grandpa, grandma, great grandpas and great grandmas. I am not sure she totally understood the memories in that quilt but she did enjoy using it to sit on outside and play with her brother.

It did make me smile inside and out just watching them sit on that quilt playing. It made all the hours of making it worthwhile.

I love the thought that new memories will be made sitting on top of all those old memories. I love the fact the fabric in that quilt has a history. Maybe someday, if that quilt holds up, my granddaughter will want to know what some of those memories are. If and when she is ready to ask I am going to be more than willing to answer!

When she decides to ask, I would love to tell her about her Great-Grandpa who served in the military and came back home to farm and raise a family. I want her to know her Great Grandma who raised five children and then went on to cook at the local Christian high school for many years.

It would be good for her to know that her other Great-Grandpa wanted to go to the military but could not; due to stepping on a pitchfork as a child. It would be good for her to know that he worked hard and took care of the family he loved.

She should also know about the Great Grandma who sewed pretty much all the clothing her children wore. I would love to point out the pieces of flannel in the quilt that came from baby blankets that were sewn by that same Great Grandma for the grandsons who would become her dad and uncles.

I want her to know  what her Grandpa did for a living and what he did for fun. I am hoping she wants to know what her dad was like as a boy….the things he enjoyed and the things he did not. It would be a wonderful thing for her to know about her two uncles and how they looked up to her dad, their older brother.

There is so much history in that one small quilt. We are much like that quilt….there is so much history in all of our lives if we just stop and think about it. Good history, sad history, and all the stuff in between.

It is good to pass on those stories for the next generations. It is good for them to have a connection to what makes up their past. If it takes a quilt to pass on those stories….it is a wonderful thing.

It will be a wonderful thing to see all the new memories made on that quilt. Memories that someday can be passed on to the next generation of this family.

Each day of our lives
we make deposits
in the memory banks
of our children.
Charles R. Swindoll

 

Reclaimed Treasures

This past week was wonderful. We had a few days that were absolutely perfect, weather wise. It was dry and sunny with a light breeze and it was glorious.

I took advantage of those days and spent as much time outside as I could. The lawn got mowed. (Which is more work than it sounds; as we use a push mower for our farm….and it is not self-propelled.) I got a few more things planted in my garden and I had a great time potting herbs. I planted chives, rosemary, mint, thyme and have one pot just waiting for sage.

The pots I used were saved from the junk pile of my in-laws several years ago. They were the pots we all bought in the 80’s that came from Mexico. A couple were slightly charred and one is pretty rugged looking. (I told my husband it had character.) I had some fun-colored spray paint on hand; and set about sprucing them up a bit.

It is always amazing to me what a bit of paint can do for things. It does not completely cover the flaws and that is okay. It does renew those items and I am also good with that!

I have a feeling we are a bit like those pots…at least I am. We might be a wee bit worn or a lot worn. We might have dents and dings, scratches and scars and other flaws but with a bit of paint, also known as love, we are made beautiful again.

It is wonderful to know that with time and love, we are renewed…not like brand new but we are reclaimed. Our lives are still flawed; but they are beautiful and have purpose. It is also good to remember that perhaps we can help in the restoring of someone else.

Like my pots, let’s look for the beauty that may not be readily in view. Let’s allow things to get “messy”….because restoration is messy and takes time….but the end result is worth it. Let’s see the blessing in the cleaning, the painting and planting that makes us reclaimed treasures.

People, even more than things, have to be restored,
renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;
never throw out anyone.
– Audrey Hepburn

 

Women…Special Creations

I cannot believe how fast the days go by. About the time I think I will sit down and write a post, the day is gone and a new one has started. I am not sure, but that may have something to do with age.

Today I got to sit and rest. (It is Mother’s Day after all.) We had an awesome Mother’s Day message in church this morning and it made me reflect on how blessed I am to know so many great women.

Among those women; I put my Mom and my Mom in law. These women have given so much of their life for their families. They have paved the way for their children to raise families of their own….families that thrive. I am so grateful to these two women and their sacrifices.

 

I am also grateful for the other women in my life. My sisters, sisters-in-law, daughters-in-law and my sisters of the heart. These women make life wonderful. They love me, they laugh and cry with me, and they hold me accountable for what I say and do. I cannot imagine life without these women.

On this day that honors Mothers….let’s honor all women. Let’s remember that we are women. We were not made to be men or be like men. We were created to be exactly who we are and we are wonderful creations.

Men may not understand us and that is okay….personally I don’t always understand men and I am married to one and raised three more!

This weekend gals…let’s be comfortable in our own skins. Let’s not try to be someone else or fit their ideals. Let’s be grateful for the gifts we have been given and not worry that we do not have someone else’s gift. Let’s realize that we are enough. We have always been enough and we will always be enough. We were created as Enough!!

I hope you had a blessed day today. I hope you had a chance to celebrate a mom, a wife, a daughter, sister, a woman in your life. I pray you have been enriched knowing those special women who make life good.

Please feel free to leave a message about that special woman in your life. I would love to hear about them.

“When your mother asks,
“Do you want a piece of advice?”
it’s a mere formality.
It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no.
You’re going to get it anyway.”
― Erma Bombeck