Some handmade goodness made it’s way into my house last week.
It all started as an effort to help my mom clean out her storage unit. We opened box after box. Sorting through household goods. Crib… check. Extra set of towels… check. Pots and pans… check.
Until I found a box labeled ‘old quilts.’ Bingo.
So I casually and oh so nonchalantly said, “Mom, what’s in this box?”
“Oh, some old quilts and family pictures.” My eyes widened and my ears perked up. I then tore open the box. Casually of course because I didn’t want to appear desperate.
I then proceeded to beg, to plead for them. “Oh Mom, I’ll take such good care of them. Look at them here in this old box at the bottom of the pile. I will love them forever. I won’t cut them up. I won’t get rid of them. I promise to treasure them.” Can you hear the desperation in my voice? And let me show you why.
This is why I love handmade goods. Because it’s in my genes. And it’s in yours too. This beautiful stack of quilts, that was handmade by my family, is now in my home. On a shelf in the baby’s room.
I also found this white quilt with beautiful blue embroidery all over it.
And on the bottom corner, if you look hard enough you will see my great-grandmother’s name ~ Harriett, 1910. Melts my heart.
At the very bottom of that box was this silhouette. It’s my mama! Made when she was about five years old. I cried when I pulled it out of the box. Then my mom cried because she couldn’t believe that I would actually want it. Doesn’t she read my blog???
Want it? I ran directly to my car and put it in the back. It’s going to hang in either the nursery or the kids room. What a gift to them, a handmade silhouette of their Nana. Thank you Nana. For all of our family treasures.
So why do I love handmade? Because life has not always been easy for our families. There wasn’t a Target and a supermarket on the corner. My family survived the trans-atlantic journey to come to America with little more than their suitcase. Some coming from Italy, others from Great Britain. They somehow made their way to Texas.
They survived the Great Depression. They worked. And they worked hard for what they had.
They appreciated. Everything. They handmade. Everything.
Do not let a moment slip you by that you do not appreciate where you are now and what you have. You are blessed.
