Life.Simple.Perspective

Colder temperatures have finally arrived so I thought it would be nice to write about something warm and cozy… like quilts; patchwork quilts that is.  Quilts have been around for a long time.  As you probably know, quilts are a warm bed covering made of batting sewn between two layers of fabric.  The fabric used is an assortment of prints, textures and colors sometimes salvaged from old worn out clothing.  In earlier years quilts were frequently handed down to other family members.  It seems like the older and more worn out a quilt becomes, the softer and warmer it gets; especially if it was handmade by someone we love.  When it comes to creating a quilt, there are many different patterns and designs to choose from but normally the decision as to which one to use is left up to the “bees”.

I enjoy using analogies to illustrate points and that is the reason why I selected the patchwork quilt pattern for this blog.  The top layer of a patchwork quilt consists of small, colorful fabric squares held together by lines of stitching.  When I look at a patchwork quilt, the individual pieces remind me of the people, places and things in our lives that are joined together by a common thread (God) to create a beautiful tapestry or work of art.  Each square represents our family members, our pets, our friends, our work, churches, homes, hobbies, etc.; all the things in our lives that are important to us.

When something negative or adverse comes against us, we all have the tendency to get out of balance and to focus all of our thoughts and energy on that one negative thing.  Thinking of a patchwork quilt reminds me to keep things in perspective and to re-focus; somewhat of a glass half full versus glass half empty scenario.  What I try to remember at times like this is that just because one piece of my life has been removed, tattered or torn apart; the remainder of my life is still intact.  In other words, I still have the “quilt” even though a piece of it has been damaged or is missing.  The damaged or missing piece may be causing me pain and suffering at the present time but I’m reminded to be grateful for the remaining “squares” of my life that are good and that are still there.  I can “wrap myself up” in the other parts that are positive and available until the crises or the pain subsides. 

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