My mom was a maker at the heart of her being. Whether candlewicking a pillow, designing a wedding dress, painting wooden angels, or baking a cake, she was always creating. And not just creating for the sake of creating, but doing so out of love. She loved the process of making something, sure, but more so she loved sharing what she made and her creative spirit with others.
One my earliest memories is of my mother patiently teaching me how to embroider a simple design. Cradled in her arms, she guided my small fingers as I learned how to handle a needle. She encouraged me to keep trying, no matter how difficult it might seem at first. Mistakes were just opportunities for more practice. “Besides”, she would say, “sometimes the imperfections end up making things the most beautiful and uniquely yours.”
My mom’s creative spirit never faltered, nor did her love for sharing creativity with others. Towards the end of her life, every Thursday she took her friend Jennie (who has Down’s Syndrome) to art class. Together they would create. She and Jennie enjoyed their last art class together only days before my mom departed for her next adventure.
I’m thankful for the lessons my mom shared with me. Not only those that were technical in nature, but more so those about life. She put her heart and soul into everything she did, sharing her love and creativity extravagantly with those around her. The world is a better place because she was in it.
“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 (HCSB)
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