Quilting Your Way Out

Throughout their lives, quilter’s, just like the general population, experience all kinds of life stress. Death, divorce, illness, financial problems, family problems and problems with friends to name just a few. As I discovered first hand, the difference between quilter’s and everyone else is that we have a built in support group. People that are there to carry us through those difficult times. Ladies that are there for us when the best medicine is a hug and a few kind words.

One of the lowest points of my life was the loss of my oldest brother Bob. He and I were in a motorcycle accident when I was six and he was sixteen. The accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Even though for most people this would have been the end of anything that resembled a normal life, with excellent rehabilitation thanks to Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Hospital in California, he went on to have a beautiful full life. My brother Bob went on to get a master’s degree, he married and purchased a home in Los Angeles and lived totally independent. When Bob passed away it was truly one of the lowest points of my life. I was so sad that he was gone. At the time I was living in Florida and he and his wife lived in California. I did not know that many people in Florida but I was a member of a local quilt guild. After the funeral in California, I returned to my home in Florida. When I walked in the door there was one card on the counter waiting for me. The card was from the local quilt guild. I opened the card and the words touched my heart and brought me to tears. “We are so sorry for your loss. We are here for you. Let us know if there is anything we can do”. The reason that I was crying is because I knew that they meant every word printed in the card. In fact, when I attended my first quilt guild meeting I must have received fifty hugs that night and many more kind words. That was just the medicine I needed at the exact right time.

How does this apply to you? Please find your local quilt guild. There are millions of these in every community around the globe. Make friends and spend time with these ladies. Learn from them and expand your quilting horizon’s. Just at the time when life throws you and unexpected punch in the stomach I promise you that you will not be alone. There will be people there for you to give you just the right medicine that you need, a true friend!