The Road to Oklahoma

Some projects bring great joy – they are celebrations of birth, graduation, wedding, anniversary – happy and hopeful times associated with every stitch. Some projects are memorials to loss, restoration in every stitch respecting the process of grief. Then there are projects of healing. These are not beautiful; they are not cherished until there is space to look back with reverence at the lessons learned. 

Everything had to be put on hold, and a project of healing was needed – one that is not promised to anyone. The mistakes and inconsistencies are completely acceptable because this quilt isn’t “for” anyone. This quilt is to put hurt, fear, and forgiveness somewhere that is tangible. These stitches are cathartic and healing. The starts and stops, the tear stains, and strains of not being careful show in the work. There is not a seam ripper in sight to re-do an errant run. No, the acceptance of imperfection, forgiveness for yourself, and forgiveness for others belongs there. There is a time for high-quality work – a time to strive for as close to perfect as possible; but not when you are healing. Acceptance, allowing yourself to break and heal, and then break and heal again is completely necessary. 

I suppose sharing this is being vulnerable. Some may not understand; but in such a fragile time maybe it is okay to say something is “too much,” and it has to go somewhere else. Find your quilt, your project, your art, and pour all that uncertainty into it without asking it to be anything but a reflection of the time of healing that you needed to get your feet under you for the next opportunity, challenge, chapter. Bless the journey and the Road to Oklahoma or anywhere else for that matter.

Thank you, as always, for spending some time with This Lil Pig Studios