Well, today is the last day of school and instead of making me excited for summer, it always makes me melancholy. The kids are another year older; we’ve had to say “goodbye” to teachers, classmates, and friends; and our nine-month routine is about to go out the window. It’s an inescapable reminder of the steady march of time. Clearly I’m not good with change.
But because change is inevitable and, try as I might, I can’t stop time, I’ve had to find a way to slow time down… yes, it’s quilting. Planning, cutting, and piecing while listening to music or with Pride and Prejudice playing in the background (for the 20th time) I’m able to forget. For a few stolen moments I don’t have to think about the fact that my daughter will enter high school next year or that my son will have to face junior high without his best friend. With my mind on the quilt taking shape before me I can set aside my sadness that I have only one child remaining in the village school that has been at the center of our lives for 9 years and I can ignore the nagging worries about how I’m going to entertain 3 kids and a dog for 2 months.
In quilting, as in life, the colors and fabric, the patterns and textures are ever changing. But unlike life, the process of quilting remains constant — always rhythmic, soothing, and familiar. And so for the past few days, instead of singing the blues, I’ve been working on a small quilt for a favorite teacher. Call it avoidance, call it escapism… I call it healthy.
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| For Mrs. Johnson – 14″ x 14″ |