My time? Really? What does that look like? I decided to sew. As retirement enveloped Russ' days, he began to paint. Slowly his amazing painting became master pieces that deserved a space of honor; my sewing room became his painting studio.
Given our personal challenge with Parkinson's Disease and finding this rather manly color scheme & fabrics I decided to make Russ a prayer quilt. This is something we do at church. When someone is sick, lost, grieving or needs prayers of hope, we come together as a community to tie a knot in the quilt as we say a prayer for the person who will get to wrap themselves in its love.
Each knot tied is a silent testimony of love, care, hope and blessings. The quilt can now be called a 'comforter'!
What started as a few pieces of fabric has become my heart song to Russ. I decided to broaden the field and call it a prayer-community-friendship quilt. This way, when it is finished, I can invite friends and neighbors to stop by the house to tie a thought of Russ into it. It meant that no matter one's stand on faith they would be apart of this. All I ask is that they tie a bit of love or care or hope within their knot.
I have stitched my prayers into this quilt, dripped tears on the squares and imagined it covering him in comfort. I sometimes wondered as I was creating it... is it for him or for me?