The
Wedding Quilt
by
Stephenie Speck
Like most
young couples, my husband and I didn’t have money for extravagant
gifts on our first wedding anniversary. We were content to exchange
thoughtful anniversary cards inscribed with mushy verses, enjoy
a home cooked meal, and watch a romantic comedy at home. Simply
being able to enjoy each other’s company was sufficient
enough. We loved each other and no gift on the face of the earth
could even come close to reciprocating our love for one another.
So when the
mailman knocked on the door, I was very surprised to see a medium-sized
package from my mother. Both eager and curious to see what was
awaiting us in the package, I quickly ripped open the box and
immediately my eyes filled with tears. Inside the box was a neatly
folded quilt my mother had made by hand. It was white with lilac
patterns intertwined and stitched with gold thread. The backing
consisted of beautiful tiny purple flowers similar to those in
my wedding bouquet.
Accompanying
the gorgeous quilt was a note from my mother:
“Stephenie
and Corey, Happy Anniversary! Enclosed is your very own Wedding
Ring quilt. The purple of course was your wedding color and
the gold thread represents the golden rings you two exchanged
on your wedding day. May this quilt keep you warm when times
are cold and remind you of the day you said your vows—Love,
Mom.”
I was touched
beyond words. My mom knew that we didn’t have the money
to enjoy a fancy anniversary that year, and I knew that my mom
didn’t have the money to spend on materials for such a beautiful
quilt. And yet she surely had sacrificed to be able to afford
this. The time alone it must have taken to hand stitch such a
detailed quilt was mind boggling to me. I just pictured my mother
coming home from a long day at work and staying up until the wee
hours of the night delicately piecing the quilt together with
each stitch gingerly sewn. My husband and I both knew that with
each stitch a part of my mom’s love was sewn right into
the quilt. How could any gift ever compare to such a genuine gift?
Many years
have passed since my husband and I celebrated our first anniversary
together, but neither of us has forgotten the beautiful quilt
we received. My husband always jokes that the best anniversary
present I have ever received wasn’t from him but from my
mother, and I agree.
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