Pass it on

Years ago, it was a common practice to teach children crafts. Of course during those days many of the things children learned were not considered crafts. They were necessary tools that were functional and kept a family safe, fed and warm.

But as we have become a society of less time and more resources, children are not usually taught some of the basic skills that our forefathers (and mothers) needed to learn to survive. Truthfully, because I was a latch key kid, my mother never had the time to teach me many of the things she had learned herself.  I learned to sew in Home Economics in High School. I learned how to cook after I got married. And I learned how to quilt because it was a hobby that caught my interest. I've always loved to put puzzles together, and quilting brought together the math and the beauty of color.

Once, in a blog post, I shared with how I taught my friend to quilt.and she in turn taught one of her friends. In the same respect, teaching and encouraging kids to do something you love, is a way of passing on to the next generation a love that will hopefully be carried on yet again.

Several years ago I met with my daughter and her friend as they wanted to learn how to make quilts. The reason being, they had a desire to help with a cause.

They saw a need and thought the best way to help was to design and stitch a quilt for every fallen soldier during the beginning days of the war in Afghanistan. It was a monumental undertaking. Especially for two young girls. When they started this project the casualty rate was not daunting. With the help of friends, and other quilters, we marathoned the task, sewing and quilting dozens of quilts.

 

When my daughter moved to Chicago for a job, her friend and her mother took the reigns of this project for several years. Their effort touched the families of hundreds of fallen soldiers.  Operation HomeFront Quilts was eventually passed on to military wives but the effort and beginning was started by the stirrings of two young girls who wanted to do their part.

Consider, whatever it is you love, share it with a child or young person. Whether it be writing, quilting, or even cooking. It can become the catalyst of something that goes far beyond our little world. Let's keep passing it on.