A Hand-Sewn Quilt

In a quiet neighborhood with a large backyard, a mother and father raised six children, teaching them always to live a quiet life and work with their hands (1 Thessalonians 4:11). As the children grew and married, the mother gifted them, one by one, a quilt, pieced together from their childhood, embroidered thoughtfully with details of their life.

My mother-in-law hand-stitched this quilt, square by square, remembering to incorporate all of the important bits of our story. When we unfolded it I immediately recognized watermelon squares from my own childhood; a favorite pair of culottes, hand-sewn, originally, by my mother. The longer we looked, the more we saw: references to our homes together, our adventures, our animals, and our babies. It's a gift to be treasured, for sure.

All day today Charlotte climbed onto our bed, not to bounce, but to ask, "Mama? Dada?" I would pull back the quilt to show her the underside, where our likenesses lay, tucked away. She's as in love as we are.