My family has long had traditions that seemed odd to other folks. Traditions that make effort to ease the burden of heavy events and comfort the sorrowful, sick or hurt.
You may have read about the "Pot Pie" when I was sick and needed to feel the love - it's a newer tradition and if you didn't read that one - you can see it HERE. It has been extended to some cousins and the sister and brother, and I'm sure to a neighbor or two as well.
When the boys were little they both had to have surgery for various reasons; Rye for his missing tear ducts and a birth hernia (he was 7 weeks early and stuff just wasn't done forming), and both boys had eye surgery for strabismus - crossed eyes. Rye they thought was from being early and the muscles didn't quite develop correctly, and Reed because when he was born his nose was broken, chin was cut and he had a "Harry Potter" lightening cut on his forehead! It probably tore up some muscles from the trauma.
Rye had his first two surgeries when he was very small - the first for the tear ducts at 11 months old - after we figured out that he didn't just have a "cold in his eyes"! Things were different then and he did weigh 7 pounds 12 ounces, so until the premie issues started coming up they though they just had our dates wrong!
Nana (my mom and the pot pie maker) made the boys "surgery bears" to have with them and take to the hospital since they had to be without their people in there so they would still be able to feel the love.
Rye's bear matched the pajamas she made for him and it was so, so cute when he wore the PJ's and had the bear with him. I still have the bear - I will be looking for the pajamas too - hopefully I saved them, but they may have been worn out!
This was his second surgery when he was 6 years old and we didn't have time to make the pajamas but he still had his bear! This one was to fix his crossed "lazy" eye. He had worn glasses for a few years to try to correct it and we tried patching the "good eye" to try to make the other eye stronger and in the end we had to have a surgery to correct it.
Reed's bear from his strabismus surgery was able to go in with him, and its a funny memory because when he was little he always had the hiccups - often! Sometimes he would get sick of them and in order for him not to be bothered by them we would always tell him "that means you are growing"! It always appeased him and he would go along and deal with the hiccups cheerfully! After his eye surgery they brought him out of the recovery area to us in a little red wagon hugging his bear (he was only about 4 years old), and the first thing he said with a big smile was "Mom! I was growing in there while I had my surgery!" The nurses were very confused until I said "Oh Great! Did you have the hiccups?" To which he replied with a victory fst in the air "YES!!" The nurses were fully enamored of him, of course.
With his broken elbow, they did not let him have aything from outside the room with him, and I really felt sad that he would not have the comfort of that while he was in there, and after until they brought him out. It was a rough go for him and for me.
My boys forever after that thought that everyone should have a bear to take when they had surgery - and so we got one with a blanket for when their great grand pap had to have cancer surgery. It made him smile and offered comfort to him when everyone had to leave. He knew it was love from the boys and it was a good thing.
Meemaw sent the bear to us when Pap passed away and we still have it now - reminding us of him and bringing comfort to us.
I know you have read about the "People Quilt" as I have included it in the blogs often and it has had many adventures on which to comfort me. You can read about the origin of the quilt HERE.
This is the people quilt and my mom when we went to an herbal retreat - it was a blast and the quilt was a comfort - it got cold in that tent! We learned a lot about local herbs and herbs for resiliancy a that retreat....we also learned that we greatly appreciate flush toilets and toilet paper! That however, is a story for another time!
When my dear friends husband died of cancer, I brought a quilt to her house that we put the binding on while we were greiving and waiting all the things to be done that had to be done, and while the shock was still new and fresh and we needed something to do with our hands other than wring them and wipe tears. She had many people trying to make her make decisions that she was not able to make right at that moment, and the quilt gave her comfort and warmth, and maybe a bit of a hiding place, while she wrapped her brain around what had happened.
And when another friends son died I finished this one for her to comfort and keep her warm knowing that she had a banket of love to wrap up in.
This one was made for an Aunt who battled (successfully thankfully) the ugly C word and was cold all the time from the treatments. It has heavy batting in it and a warm fleece backing, and it gave her comfort to have it while at the same time giving me comfort and something that I "could do" to help in the situation, when it always feels like there is nothing that can be done. She lives far away and had lots of folks bringing her meals and such. A quilt is what I can do. It has saved my life many times over, to create something beautiful and useful, instead of letting the grief take over and kill me.
Quilting has to save my life less these days, but I continue to do it now to keep f'ing going, and to keep comfort for others happening. For new babies, newly marrieds, and anyone else who might need it, and yes for me.
I hope you have the comfort of love whenever you need it, and that you have friends who know how to make that comfort appear in whatever form it takes - hiccups and all!
Blessed Be!
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