Years ago, my friends Paul and Eilene invited me along on a river float, so we drove down together and stayed at a bed & breakfast before put-in. It was a beautiful place, i particularly remember sitting outside on the bench in the early morning and having Eilene join me for a chat... and i was thinking about time and people and memory and death and other light topics (LOL -- yes, i earn the nickname of "Queen of Overthinking" again and again!)
So i've known for a while now that i would be cremated, have a sense for where my ashes will be scattered (if it's convenient), won't have a gravestone... I've never felt inclined to seek the wealth/notoriety required to get my name on a bridge or a building or a street sign... and being childless and with childless siblings, have no sense that stories of me will become legends in a family tree... and all of that is OK by me!
Eilene and i were discussing that when i pass, in a real way i live on in the lives of the people who love me. Having lost dear ones, i know that to be true and real and it is a wonderful comfort (after the initial pain of grieving has eased).
My conclusion to her was that my legacy will be the quilts that i have made and given away. I'm as proud of the ones that are so well-loved that they will not make it through the recipients' childhood as i am the ones that are hung on the wall or tucked away for safe-keeping. They all are a powerful expression of my creativity and effort and a tangible "proof" that i lived on the earth.... not that one is needed, but there ya go!
And yes, there is irony even in this.... i rarely sign my quilts. Some think it's bad form... but it works for me to make them, complete them, send them off to their own interesting experiences...
And for me to know, 150 years from now.... even beyond one of Johnnie's admonitions, one of them might be somewhere on earth, doing it's job of warming and beautifying someones life.
Pretty awesome legacy, eh?
Bea,
ReplyDeleteYour beautiful post pulled me into a place I've never been -- sitting next to you in a quiet, sunny spot viewing the quilts you've made with loving hands. My mind went to my guest bedroom where I recently had my great-grandmother's quilt repaired and now keep ready for any guest to use. They rarely do, however, because they don't want to "mess it up." How ironic.
I never met my great-grandmother, but the quilt she made was absolutely gorgeous. It's mostly white, with tones of blue. It has a square-rigger ship in the middle, and a sail boat at each corner. Opposite corners have the compass rose and an anchor top-stitched for an artistic accent, and the general top-stitching is a winding double row of stitches that remind you of ropes (oh, it's a boat -- lines!). It's a work of art.
That's why you'll suck in your breath when I tell you I used as a tent over the clothesline as a child and poked holes in the corner when I used clothespins as tent stakes! 30 years later my dad gave me the quilt, and I sheepishly took it, cried a little, and tucked it away. Then 3 years ago I found a sweet woman who worked in a tiny quilt shop in Indian River, MI and she told me how much she loved to repair quilts. I'd never had the nerve or set aside the money to allow anyone to fiddle with grandma's quilt. But I trusted this woman and mailed it to her. Months later when I picked it up, it was stunningly brought back to life -- an improved! We'd talked, and she added pieces to the border to make it a queen-sized quilt rather than it's original double size. Now it's a treasure I love to share with anyone who loves quilts.
And now I'll think of your story. How my great-grandmother lives on in my life when all I have is memory of a couple of stories from my own grandmother, one photo, but something that touched her hands and her heart when she was alive. Now that's a gift!
Bless you for sharing your gift to so many people. And not just your gift of quilts, but your gift of love.
I'm praying for you daily.
With love,
Cindy
Bea - I realized I left out a very important piece of the story! I met my husband at the Chesapeake Sailing school in Annapolis, MD where he was my sailing instructor! We have salt water in our veins, and sailing has been an integral part of our lives for the past 28 years. Little would my great-grandmother or grandmother have known how precious and appropriate this tender gift was a hundred years after it was made. I know there's a plan like this in your quilts too.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful story and treasure!!! would you mind sending me a picture of this quilt?
ReplyDeleteI sure will. All I have is your work email, but I'll shoot it there. With all my IT background, I couldn't see where blogspot let me add a photo.
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