An Heirloom Quilt is No Match for a Child’s Imagination
Kids are great at pretend play! They can be anything they want anytime. One moment we’re saved by Batman, and another moment we are being chased by a tyrannosaurus. Ten minutes later, we find ourselves talking to Matilda, the intellectual spider that apparently resides in the family’s hall closet.
Our son was no exception. He went through a period of time when he was a wizard. You can imagine the conversations we had. Sometimes his wizardry skills, or lack thereof, got him into immense trouble.
Let’s jump back in time a little bit. Over twenty years before this day of wizardry, my mom spent countless hours making me a quilt with hand painted fabric. She never finished it. When my daughters were born, she took this single, unfinished quilt and split it into two - one for each of them. The quilts were one of a kind and beautiful.
So, why would a young wizard think that it was a good idea to take his inkwell full of black ink onto these precious heirloom quilts? Our son was stuck in his pretend world pursuing his wizard dreams. He quickly came back to reality when his magic wand couldn’t remove the ink and his mother was furious.
Lesson learned. An heirloom quilt is no match for a child’s imagination. Over 10 years later, the quilt is still full of ink, now in two pieces, and waiting for another day to be useful and treasured.
The child, however, is tireless. There is no more pretend play with make believe dreams, but now hours of real dreams and planning. Our son isn’t a 7 year-old wizard anymore, he is a man in his twenties diligently pursuing his dreams.
When was the last time you dropped into a pretend world with a small prince or princess? Or better yet, when was the last time you stepped away from all the demands of life, had a cup of coffee, and dreamt about your future? Be in your twenties again with me, let’s run toward our dreams and make them happen.
All it takes is a little imagination, a little risk, and perhaps a ruined heirloom quilt.
Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,
Jody Flurie
Jody Flurie is the Founder and Owner of Red Dirt Legacy Co. where family legacy stories are celebrated through each Little Legacy Film Series - a series of short videos that can be easily shared to keep children and grandparents connected by what matters most for each family.
Jody believes all kids, young and old, need to understand where they came from and why it matters. Everyday, she works hard to instill this in her family because it’s only through understanding who we are that we can be fully ourselves and make a true indelible mark on the world.
If you want the same thing that Jody wants for her family, visit reddirtlegacyco.comto find out how your family can celebrate the wisdom, love, and legacy of an earlier generation. If we don’t step up to bring hope to our families, who will?