Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Of sailboats and sharing ...

We drove to Virginia to see our son and his wife this past weekend. They are in a new home now and are soon expecting their first child. I was able to attend her baby shower while we were there.

It was such fun to see her open all the little packages with tiny outfits, blankets, books and booties, stuffed animals and tiny toys!

Along with those, there were heirlooms handed down from Kerry's side of the family -- among them, a silver porringer her own father used and her mother's first silver spoon. They are lovely pieces with special meaning.

The quilt shown in the photo was one that was lovingly hand-stitched for me when I was expecting. We tucked this quilt around our little Jason on special occasions 27 years ago. Later, it was wrapped in tissue paper and stored in a cedar chest for safe keeping. There, the sailboat quilt has rested, waiting to be shared.

When Kerry opened it at the shower, there were lots of oooh's and aaaaah's around the room with comments about its beauty and like-new condition. What a joy to think our little grandson will soon be wrapped in the same quilt that cuddled his Daddy many years ago!

Sharing an heirloom is one way to show we cherish memories of days gone by. It's also a good way to remind our children they are an important link in the family chain. By preserving special items and handing them down, we connect the dots from past, present and future. In the process, our children begin to make their own memories -- and, perhaps, they will enjoy passing along some of the same heirlooms to the next generation.

Can't wait to meet our grandson!

5 comments:

  1. How beautiful, Nan, it's good to see you again. Your daughter-in-law looks like a lovely young woman. I BET you can't wait to meet your grandson! Bless you. Hugs Jo

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  2. Thanks, Jo! I have missed blogging and am glad to be back. Yes, Kerry is precious and has an infectious, happy spirit. :-) We are all very anxious to meet the little fella in about 4 weeks!

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  3. OK...another tear from Jackie. What an absolutely wonderful treasure to be handed from you to Kerry. I am choked up...and I bet that she and her husband were too...What a sweet gift, Nan....This blanket snuggled one young prince, and now will snuggle another....Priceless!!

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  4. It's a beautiful quilt, Nan. Perfect for your new grandson. Four weeks will roll by quickly now ... I eagerly await the first pictures.

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  5. Very cool--I have the blanket for my daughters that one of my mom's good friends made for me when I was born... I love it! What fun!

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