Above you see a typical thrifting scene...
someone else's cast-off's that could become your treasure.
The very odd thing for me
was when I walked into this particular store.....
that the quilt you see?
It once belonged to me.
It was made by my paternal grandmother
probably back in the depression days-or shortly thereafter-
made of thriftily saved pieces and parts of discarded woolen clothing.
My reasons for passing this treasure on
include the fact that I had kept it in a box for probably 25 years
and didn't even remember I had it until I was cleaning out a storage shed...
it is old and fragile and would not withstand the cleaning it needed...
we already have enough warm winter blankets & comforts...
we need to downsize and can't keep everything...
Before I donated it to my favorite charity,
I did take time to photograph it.
I love the autumn-ish colors and simple artistry
of a thrifted comfort from days past,
when our grandmothers stayed home
and cared for their families
by "using it up, wearing it out, making it do or doing without."
When I saw it displayed in the thrift store a few weeks after I had donated it,
I must admit I choked up and had tears in my eyes...
not because I missed the quilt,
rather the emotion of seeing my grandmother's handiwork
displayed so beautifully---as it should be!
I truly do not wish to have it back...
and I was so happy that the store had not thrown it away.
The way they chose to display it and the price tag attached
honored my grandmother's creativity and labor
in a way that I could not.
The manager told me that a customer had come in twice and looked at it,
she really wanted it for a room she was redecorating...
my greatest wish is that it go to a home where it will be loved and used!
I walked away from that store a freer woman.
I know now, that things are separate from people and relationships.
I don't have to keep things in order to keep memories...
The people I have loved and the time we have shared
will always be in my heart and my mind.
I am grateful for the photos I have,
they satisfy my desire to "keep" bits of my past
that I no longer need or use,
and they take up so much less space!
And so I am content.
But it was an odd moment...
