I have had in my collection of patterns this Quick-piece Crazy Quilt pattern and template set that came from Mrs. Miller and I have long wanted to use it. And finally the perfect time and occasion arrived!I am a firm believer that every woman needs to have a circle of friends that will be there for you in all of the ups and downs of life... girlfriends that will laugh with you and cry with you, stand up for you, but still let you know (gently) when you are in the wrong. We straighten another's crown without telling the world it was crooked. We listen to each other... not just what they say with words... but what they say from their hearts.
I am fortunate and blessed to be able to say that I have this circle of friends, some that I have known for 20 years, some for just a few years... We try to get together for a "perfect girls" weekend two to three times a year. Those that can attend may vary, (sometimes the group is larger, and sometimes small and intimate) but the fact that we have each other's backs never changes. We never have great plans for activities... mostly we just hang out and chat, share devotional times, prayer concerns and prayers for each other. We take turns preparing meals and cleaning up... laugh and usually stay up waaaaaaaaaaay too late.
We have helped and supported each other through job losses and career changes, divorces, moves, surgeries, major and minor health issues and aging parents. We have celebrated graduations marriages of children and births of grand-babies.
At one weekend, one of the ladies shared this special story that she found on the web... it sums up our circle of friends to a tee!
Years ago, I was at the beach
with my family when I noticed a group of ladies nearby who appeared to be in
their fifties.
With a quick glance, I knew they
were on a girls’ weekend. All the signs were there
– coolers & cocktails, beach bags with romance novels, straw hats,
umbrellas in the sand – but most telling of all was their laughter. Lots
and lots of laughter, the kind that draws attention and curiosity from anyone
in earshot.
That afternoon, I saw two of them in
the elevator. When I commented on how much fun they seemed to have, they smiled
and nodded. One replied, “Oh, we do have fun. We’ve kept
this beach trip going for twenty years and have been through everything –
divorce, death, cancer, unemployment. Don’t ever lose touch with your girlfriends, sweetheart. The older
you get, the more you’ll need them.”
The conversation left an impression on me. While I’d always treasured my girlfriends, I’d never thought about needing them more with age. And if I’m being honest, it’s only been in recent years that I’ve taken their words to heart.
Because now that I’m in my
40’s, I’m seeing how real divorce, death, cancer, unemployment, and other major
life problems are. I understand what they meant
when they emphasized the importance of girlfriends as my age group faces
hardships we couldn’t imagine when we were young and carefree.
Last February, I found the advice
these women gave me really validated
when my dear friend Emily, who I met when our daughters became friends, lost
her husband Joe in a plane crash. Emily and Joe weren’t just any
couple – they were the couple who had been best friends since age 15, whose
incredible love story was still going strong. What they had
was special. To have it end early and suddenly was
unfathomable, unfair, and hard to comprehend.
Joe’s death impacted a lot of
people hard, and throughout their home
there was so much sadness and grieving, so many heavy hearts in one place. In
the midst of this tragedy, however, there was also so much LOVE. You could
feel the Holy Spirit everywhere, working in Emily and the people surrounding
her.
As I left Emily’s house the day
after Joe’s death, I sat in my car and reflected on everything I’d
witnessed. One thing I kept thinking about were the women
in Emily’s life, and how amazing they’d been. It
wasn’t just the food being carted in, the affection showered on the family, or
the fact that so many people had dropped everything to drive or fly to
Birmingham. It was the way Emily’s village came
together, how friends from every stage of life were represented (adolescence,
college, law school, work, and motherhood), and how well everyone
knew her.
And because they
knew her well, they could do a lot to lighten Emily’s load.
When I arrived at Emily’s house the
morning after Joe’s death, for instance, someone asked if I’d write his
obituary. I agreed, of course, and was given the names of surviving family
members to start with. Since Emily was meeting with
her pastor about the funeral, I began the obituary with the help of four
friends who’d known Emily and Joe for decades. My intention was
to write a rough draft and let Emily fill in the blanks.
But guess what? Emily didn’t have to
fill in blanks, because her old friends filled in the
blanks for her. Together they recalled pertinent details of
Joe’s life: the special dates he planned with his daughters, how he graduated
first in his law school class, which law firms he’d worked with, his role as
basketball commissioner, his love for their church mission trip to Maine – the
list goes on.
As they talked and I typed, I found
myself wondering: How many people have friends who
could write their husband’s obituary? What does that say about Emily and
her relationships?
All over Emily’s house, huddles of
women were taking care of business. As I passed a group from her church, I
heard them planning the visitation and family luncheon before the funeral.
“Emily wouldn’t like that, but she would like this,” they
said. “Why don’t we give her option A and option B?” When Emily emerged from her meeting with the pastor an hour
later, the legwork was done. She was given an obituary to proofread,
options for Saturday, and updates from friends handling small matters so Emily
could reserve energy for big ones.
Our girlfriends can’t save us,
because only Christ can fill that role, but they can help make a tragedy
bearable. They can read our mind and our emotions, intuitively
recognizing what needs to be done – then doing it. They can
listen, empathize, and show compassion. They can be the hands
and feet of Jesus, used by God to help provide comfort and a timely
shoulder to cry on.
It’s hard to nurture friendships
when you’re busy raising kids. Some days I don’t have
the time or energy. But one thing I’ve learned from watching Emily
cope with her loss is how having strong relationships in place before a
tragedy occurs enables the healing process. While faith keeps
you standing, friends and family hold your hand as you slowly move forward.
They help you find a new normal. They meet you for yoga, bring Starbucks to
your home, take your kids for ice cream, plan a girls’ beach trip for your
Mother’s Day, get your dog groomed, text you Scripture and encouragement,
continue coming to town to check on you, and show love in a million heartfelt
ways.
“Don’t ever lose touch with
your girlfriends, sweetheart. The older you get, the more you’ll need
them.” The women on the elevator that
day were spot-on. Now when I see a group like them having fun, I realize the
laughter is only part of the story, what comes after the
complicated grown-up stuff. And while we certainly need the wonderful men
in our lives, for they play a crucial role, too, men simply aren’t
designed to understand us like one of our own.
Sometimes it takes another
woman to recognize intuitively what needs to be done – then do it. Or
to sense what needs to be said – then say it. Or to take
the thoughts and emotions we don’t voice – and know what to make of them.
Having great friends is largely a
matter of being a great friend. The reason Emily’s circle is so
strong is because she invests in her people. And
in her greatest time of need, she reaped the benefit. I hope this story comes
as a friendly reminder of why girlfriends matter in good times and bad,
laughter and tears, and through the highs and lows that reveal who’s with us
for the long haul, and who’s willing to share in our suffering so that one day,
when we’re laughing again on the beach, there will be a history that makes the
laughter sound richer and stirs the curiosity of anyone in earshot.
The name of each lady in the group has been embroidered on a part of the crazy blocks as well as specially selected scripture references.
When I was ready to quilt it I knew that I wanted to include a blessing and a prayer.
The blessing from Numbers 6:24-26 is quilted into the center of the quilt...
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.
The border of the quilt has a special prayer...
I thought I was done with it. All I needed to do was wash it and photograph it. But every time I walked into the guest room and saw the quilt on the top of the stack of quilts that currently reside there I KNEW it needed something more. It DESERVED something more... It is a crazy quilt. They are supposed to be heavily embellished with fancy stitches and ribbons! This one was, well, rather plain...
But I had other projects I needed to get to... deadlines... I kept saying "I don't have time". But I found myself unproductive and unfocused because of that crazy quilt! The Crazy Quilt was making me CrAzY! 😜
One day, after a week of it taunting me, I finally submitted and grabbed the quilt and headed to my Babylock Jazz. I started doing random back and forth lines... around the quilted scripture, names and scripture references.
Once that was done I was able to move on... and, Oh, how I love it!
The backing and binding of the quilt feature little lambs and hearts...
I can honestly say that I am not sure where I would be without these special ladies! And one of these special gals will be the recipient of this quilt that has been blessed from above and made with love.
Tell me about your special crazy friends...
How often do you get together?
Where do you go?
What sort of activities do you do?
I'd love to hear from you...
Below is a full list of hop participants. Be sure to visit to see all of the crazy projects that are being shared. And before I forget, here are the give away details...
Marian at Seams To Be Sew has secured two $35 gift certificates to the Fat Quarter Shop. Follow the directions on the rafflecopter link.
Thanks for stopping by!
Quilt in Piece,
Melva
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 15, 2019
March 18, 2019
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March 20, 2019
Melva Loves Scraps - Home of the Quilters Through The Generations series
