I have been having some really random and weird thoughts go through my head of late. Especially with the first MAJOR snowfall (I have only vocalized my complaint once by myself and about 4 times agreeing with other people). One of the biggest things that is on the forefront of my mind is this BLASTED quilt that I am trying to get done within the week. Which probably wont happen unless a quilting elf comes and helps me! Why is that on my mind... this is why:
This quilt is a remake of a family heirloom. The original quilt is about 5 generations old and was hashed in a care center when Willi's grandmother was in a care center before she passed away. As a gift to her mother she has been slaving over replicating this quilt for her mother. And this is not an easy quilt. It is more recognized as a traditional Hawaii quilt with some major echo stitching. She has commissioned me to hand quilt the stitching. It is a joy to do but I want it to be done! Not so that it is out of my hair but so that it is with Willi and her family.
Last week when I was working on this quilt while helping Madison babysit it made me think of the heirlooms that I have been given from my grandparents and people that have passed on. And it came up earlier this week talking to my mom, I think on Sunday it was.
If you were to walk into my room you would be confused as to how I can find anything in there. But I know where all the vital important things are. I know where ALL sets of scriptures are. I know where my journal of conference talks are. I know where all the books are. All the quilt supplies, etc. It just looks frightening. I'm working on not making it that way. That's beside the point though. The point is where do we really put our most precious items. I have two precious items ot me that are very valuable. Maybe three depending on how you look at it.
First: My Grandpa Zollinger's bible.
I was over at my grandma's house the week before I left on my mission and was talking to her. I spent hours over there when Grandpa was alive and I would always get teased by him. I get teased just the same by Grandma. The week before I left I think I spent one whole day with her. Just talking and reminiscing of so many stupid things that all three of us would do in the summer. When she would be told to get out of the kitchen while grandpa was making his chili and she was trying to make corn bread. Too many cooks in the kitchen. We got on the subject of Grandpa and his church calling and how he would always show up to the church, no matter what day of the week it was, dressed appropriately. One day he had a last minute meeting that he had to go to. He had been working in the yard so he wasn't wearing the best of clothes. He opens the hall door and swings his tie rack around and grabs a cowboy tie. Its a leather strap with what looks like a belt buckle to adjust the length of the tie. I looked at him and told him he needed to change cause he wasn't dressed to go to the church appropriately. He looks at me and laughs: "Monkey, as long as I'm wearing a tie, it will dress up anything that I'm wearing. " Grandma and I were laughing so hard we were almost laughing. She gets up and starts walking out of the room. She comes back quickly with a book in her hand. She puts it in my lap and says that Grandpa would've been proud of me going on a mission and would want to have this. I opened the zipper and realized that it was his Bible that he had used for years! What an awesome thing to get. I went home that day and sifted through that bible page by page. It was the best thing ever!!
Two: Queengies Book of Mormon.
Six months after I left on my mission I had to come home for immediate surgery on a gallbladder. I flew home on Christmas Eve. It was like a Christmas miracle to my family. I am not going to lie. I hated it! The family that we were teaching when I had to leave was getting baptized on Christmas. It was NOT a fun thing. I was able to call them on Christmas and talk to them so that was cool. BUT it just was not the same. My family picks me up from the airport and we go to Jan and Jimmy's for Stockton's first birthday party. That was hard. I was surrounded by babies, still set apart and couldn't hold one of them! :( it was horribly hard. We went home and the next day we went out to my Grandma Kidd's for a little bit of Christmas. Grandma had a sweet smile on her face and big ol' hug to give me when I got there. She knew I was having a hard time being home and wanted to help. Hence the hug. And it did help. She wrote on a notepad: "I hope this helps you even more". My Christmas present that year was my Great Grandma's Book of Mormon that she used when she and Grandpa McQueen were on their mission in Scotland. It was so neat to see all her notes and different things in the margin and glued into the spine. She told me that she would wake up early in the morning and hear the typewriter going with Queengie typing away putting her favorite quotes from the latest BYU devotional or ensign and then gluing them into the book. Those 10 days I was home from my mission I read that book in addition to my own book. To think that the names and the quotes on the side meant something to her. I wanted them to mean something to me.
Three: Stain glassed window.
One year while I was working up at the U with the football team, I was also working at the bookstore in the merchandise department. One day I received a gift from someone. I honestly have NO idea who it is from and how he knew where I worked but it got to me. It is a stain glass window of a Utah football helmet. That sums up the best 4 years of my life that I've spent doing something that I LOVE!! I created such strong friendships! Some of them have become stronger over the years, some weakened and then rekindled and some of them are just amazing memories! That is my own personal item that I hope to have become an heirloom 60 years down the road.
I want to pass on to my family ALL three items of mine that were given to me. All three represent hardwork, diligence, and passion. What better way to describe a stubborn scot/german zollinger/McQueen combination aye? A diligent hardworking passionate person? I submit that is NO better way to describe that wonderful combo!
"I still believe in summer days. The seasons always change and life will find a way"
Just cause the death happens in life (the December days) doesn't mean that traditions and passions can't go on. Those are the wonderful summer days of our life.
Over and Out!
No comments:
Post a Comment