Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Virtues of Grace finished




The Virtues of Grace

designed by Feathers in the Nest

copyright 2010

fibers--Week's Dye Works

32 count Lambswool linen

mother of pearl vintage buttons

framed by Me and Thee

December 2010

I designed a sampler this weekend in remembrance of my maternal grandmother, Grace Gordy Coleman. Her birthday would have been this week and she had all the virtues of her name, plus many others. I got to spend 8 years with her and I watched her go through at the end of her life a diagnosis of brain cancer, surgery, radiation and chemo in a 3 month period of time when the angels accompanied her to Heaven. I believe this to be one of the reasons I went into the medical field as I watched her suffer so much at the end and this was in the 70's.

 Ironically, she also died at the end of December. I called her "Mama Grace". These virtues were "in her fiber" every day and what a role model she was! She introduced me to many things including shopping for the matching purse, shoes, and outfit, the "powder compact" to primp with, and lotion.......many of the things I enjoy today too. When she spoke, she meant what she said. There was no guessing with her. My step- grandfather, who is also deceased, loved her like I've never seen a man love a woman and in retrospection years later as I grew to be an adult, I found out that her first marriage was the opposite. She had many struggles but grew positively from them. She was well-respected in the very small town she lived in and I accompanied her to church on weekends I stayed with her.

On visits with her, I would sleep with her and she would say prayers with me and I believe we blessed so many people before I finally went to sleep until I was silly. She had patience with my nightowl nature which has stuck with me through life.She encouraged my love for music and we would dance at all kinds of music in her living room. She was in no way perfect but she lived the virtues of grace. When she died she left her rings and watch with my stepfather on her death bed and asked they be given to me when I became an adult.
I treasure them now and wear them almost daily as a reminder of strength during trying times.

 I hope you have someone who made you feel special too, even if for a short while. That's what life is all about. Not perfection, but the "fiber" that is in our being from one soul to another.

11 comments:

  1. I love the finished sampler....simple and beautiful. A lovely story, thank you for sharing it. Yes, I have been fortunate to a few few people in my younger yars who are still in my heart everyday.

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  2. Your grandmother sounds like a
    real treasure. I'm sure you do
    miss her. If you read my most
    recent post you'll see I had
    some very special people in my
    life too.
    The Grace piece is precious.
    Hoping your Sunday is peaceful.
    Blessings,
    Sandy

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  3. It turned out nice Jennifer.
    The buttons add a lot to it, very nice.
    What great memories of your grandmother.
    Marilyn

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  4. What a rememberance of your grnadmother. My special person was my paternal grandmother. There's not much I would not do to have her back for one more day. She passed in 92 from breast/lung cancer. I think of her daily.

    Keep strong and remember your love. She's with you always.

    Smiles - Denise

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  5. Beautiful thoughts Jennifer, I can hear your love for your Grandma in them. I felt the same about my Grandma.

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  6. What a great tribute to your grandmother, Jennifer.

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  7. Lovely and beautiful sentiment. It's 100x extra wonderful when you design being inspired by someone.

    Tanya

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  8. You did good.......it's perfect..

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  9. What a lovely tribute to Grace. She is smiling in heaven. a true example of what you should do in life. how blessed you were to have her.

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  10. Beautiful sampler!

    Thanks for sharing about your dear Grandmother.

    In my life it was my maternal grandmother. Even when I was an adult I told her I wanted to be just like her "when I grew up". She and my grandfather never had much in the way of material things but were rich in love of each other and their family. They were strong, can-do people...grew and preserved a lot of their own food, Grandma made almost all their clothes and she was a talented seamstress, quilter, crocheter, gardner, cook, etc. In her later years she loved to travel. In fact, she had plans to fly to TX to see one of my cousins graduate from college when she died. She flew to HI with my parents (to visit my brother's family) enough times to fly there once on her frequent flyer mileage. (She was in her 80's then.)

    You've been blessed (as you well know). Thanks for spurring my memories too.

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  11. Beautiful sampler. And so are the memories that inspired it. Your grandmother sounds like she was a very special lady.

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Jennifer