Quilting and the Importance of Cultivating Friendships

My cousin, Beryl, sends out a weekly letter to friends and family members about something going on in her life and her reflections on what she thinks about those observations. This week her letter was about her passion for quilting.

Beryl started quilting after she separated from her husband several years ago. She was very depressed at the time and needed something to help her feel she had value and worth. Since Beryl had always wanted to learn to make quilts, she joined a quilting group. Her son was six at the time, so her first quilt was for him (she figured he wouldn’t object to the mistakes that were bound to be apparent in her first quilting effort). She says that she enjoyed the whole process. Even the mistakes that she made and later had to rip out didn’t discourage her. Now quilting has become her passion.

Beryl quilts several hours most nights during the week and usually several hours on the weekends. She currently has about 10 projects going and struggles at times to decide which one to work on. She loves learning new techniques and seeing what other people are making. Thus, her quilt group.

Her quilt group meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month. She attends those meetings almost as regularly as church - which brings me to my own observation that we all need a regular support group. I’m sure Beryl’s quilting group didn’t form as a so-called “support group,” but they have served in that capacity for each other. For some women, it’s a book club, for others, it’s a walking group, and some connect strongly with a scrapbooking club, a Bible study group, or a volunteer guild that meets regularly. My grandmother belonged to a bridge club that met for over forty years!

The friendships that form in these ongoing gatherings are so important to us as women. It provides a safe, supportive environment to share what’s going on in our lives and the assurance that someone else cares. It gives you a sense of belonging, knowing that you are part of a community of women that won’t let you fall when you’re going through a turbulent time in your life. Belonging to a group of women with similar interests allows you to cultivate lasting relationships with individuals who will celebrate your small, but significant victories as you carve out a new life for yourself.

So what’s your passion? What motivates you and inspires you? What interests have you left unexplored because you are too busy with the daily demands of your life? Now is the time! Find a class. Join a club. Volunteer with an organization that you believe in their cause. You’ll be amazed at the special people that you will meet and how they will enrich your life – as well as finally devoting yourself to a passion that energizes you and gives your life meaning.

As my cousin, Beryl, says, “Find something you enjoy and start today!”