Thursday, November 01, 2007

Prayer Quilt, Part Two


The quilt is finished. There will be a Blessing for the mother tonight where she will receive her gift from the school. She hopes to leave soon for Honduras in order to try some alternative treatments since the doctors here have nothing more to offer her. I hope that our intentions and prayers will help her in her journey.


The quilt was made with O-Wool Classic and knit on predominantly US 8s and 9s. The gauge for each square was wildly different, but adds to the dearness of the quilt.


The 1st graders (the mother's son's class), each knit a row or two in this square which is positioned so that it will rest over the mother's heart when she is wrapped in the quilt.


I do not know this woman personally, we only met once, but I was honored to be asked to work on this quilt. She is a tremendous woman and has touched so many lives in a positive way. I know that her spirit has touched mine. When I read a bit of this poem on Jen Lemen's blog, I thought of her ...

When Death Comes
by Mary Oliver

When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps his purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle pox;

when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering;
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,

and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth
tending as all music does, toward silence,

and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.

When it's over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened
or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.


11 comments:

Anonymous said...

like stained glass in a church window...how beautiful and meaningful!

sad, though, that this poor woman has to go to a foreign country to get medical attention...this does not speak well of our country's health care abilities (or lack thereof).

vaya con dios, sister!

Liz K. said...

She is in my prayers too. What a beautiful community you have.

margene said...

It's so beautiful. May it bring comfort and peace to her.

Anonymous said...

It's a beautiful quilt, and this was a beautiful post, thank you for sharing, Ann.

savannahchik said...

wow, what a beautiful quilt and beautiful story. she'll be in my thoughts and prayers too.

DAWN said...

It is a really pretty quilt with more to offer than a bit of warmth. What a wonderful gift from the heart. I love Mary Oliver and find all of her poems inspiring in one way or another. I am so happy that you got a chance to be apart of something some much larger in this world.

Sally said...

Oh, what to say here. This is beautiful and sad. I will continue to think of her and especially her son. That quilt is very symbolic of her loving community.

Anonymous said...

That is amazing! I hope it brings comfort to her.

Octopus Knits said...

Wow... that's a wonderful quilt - I know it will remind her of how much she is loved. She's in my thoughts, too.

kelli ann & lorie said...

gourgeous and touching. thank you.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful project. Truly touching.