Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Grief Quilt

When my mom passed away I didn't expect to be as attached to her clothes as I was. For some random, deep in the psyche reason, I was paralyzed by the fear that I'd find her clothes in a thrift store someday.

The thought made me ill.

So, I cleaned out everything else in the house. Everything. The only thing left was a big box of clothes and I cried & cried & cried as I separated them into piles.

Keep.
Give-away.
Throw.
Keep. Giveaway. Throw.
My 'keep' pile was getting huge. The others lay empty.

Finally my dad suggested that maybe I give some to him. He could take in a skirt here & there to fit me. Turn an old t-shirt into a pair of leggings for Syd. It made me felt better.

Then my mom-in-law offered to take some clothes and make them into a quilt. I pulled out all my moms purple ones. Purple is her favorite color.

For Christmas she sent me the quit & it turned out beautiful.

Some days when I'm feeling especially lonely & missing my mom an insurmountable lot, I spread it out & lay on it.

Surrounded by the familiar patterns & textures.
Comforted by memories.
And remember her.

17 comments:

Eva Lavelle said...

Wow - what an absolutely beautiful way to keep a part of your Mum with you always!!
The quilt looks just beautiful.
And what a wonderful and talented Dad to be able to re-jig items to suit you and Sydney, your very lucky to have such a wonderful supportive group of people surrounding you.

Kristie said...

What a beautiful quilt!

Emma-Jayne said...

What a lovely quilt, they are so good for just hugging.
x

Lindsay Jane said...

Wow, that's beautiful - the quilt and your post. How nice of April and your dad to understand how important the clothes are to you. Love you.

Monica @ All Things Lovely said...

This is beautiful.

Jennie said...

What a gorgeous way to be near your mom. I love it.

Buck Jeppson said...

These are gifts Mom would be proud to know about. It's comforting to know that she can still embrace you in her own way.

Smithy said...

what a great way to hold onto something without it being stored away collecting dust

Smithy said...

ps. you should do multiple posts today to keep me entertained in my sick state :P

Esther Noelle said...

Wow this is so special!!! So sweet of them to do this for you!!! I love you lady!

M said...

Liv, your post brings tears to my eyes. I miss her too. I'm so touched by the thoughtfulness and caring of your dad and mother-in-law. It's strange to discover what we are attached to when someone we love dies. I agree with your dad--I think your mom would be pleased to know you were keeping her with you and had preserved her memory in this way. Every time you wrap up in the quilt, it's like she's giving you a hug.

Katie said...

Beautiful - quilt and post.

Cranberryfries said...

That is awesome! What a fantastic way to keep so many memories in one place.

anelieze castrejon said...

such a beautiful post, and quilt. how wonderful that you can keep her close physically and spiritually by something so warm and comforting!

lisa said...

I'm late to reading this, so you might not ever even see this comment, but just had to say that this was such a beautiful post Livvie. I can't imagine having to sort through and think about having to get rid of the clothes of someone so close to you... the quilt is such a beautiful alternative, I'm so glad you have it. What a treasure. Sending hugs your way!

Anonymous said...

This is such a wonderful idea.

Celesta said...

This is beautiful, Olivia. It brought tears to my eyes--both the idea of the quilt and your writing. Thanks for sharing this and keep writing!