Encouragement/Support & the Loss Thereof

My Mom, Nina May Borden Thomson

My mother was always supportive of her children's creative endeavors.  Whether it was painting, ceramics, baking, sewing, drawing, music, it didn't matter.  She supported us in it all.  She also was a bit of a muse for me.  She'd save patterns from magazines for me to try.  Lessons were paid for and given as gifts. Starter kits were given regularly.  She also would praise finished work.  When I got married 22 1/2 years ago, I moved across the country and that praise was limited to annual visits. But not the encouragement that was in every phone call and letter.  In short Mom was my biggest fan. 

Mom wasn't a big crafter, she never felt that she was good at that kind of stuff.  She did, however, teach me a lot of basics.  She taught me basic embroidery stitches.  How to do the chain stitch in crochet.  How to knit the garter stitch.  I learned to sew from her.  She never liked sewing but again feeling that you aren't good at something probably makes it less enjoyable.  She did dabble in various crafts.  She made our Halloween costumes and we had some awesome ones.  She taught us papermache and she made a dinosaur head for one costume.  When star wars was just out, she made a storm trooper costume and the helmet was a football helmet covered in papermache.  A lot of these were collabortative efforts but Mom started the ball rolling.  So even though she claimed to not have any talent.  Those of us who knew and loved her know the truth.

My Mother passed away a year ago.  July 16th marked the 1st anniversary of her death.  In the past year I've had to find the praise (of my work) that I crave from other sources.  My daughters aren't too bad.  My teenage son is working on it. But my Husband, well he sucks at it.  With every finished project I would miss my mom more.  Still I am learning to listen in the quiet hours (few and far between) and I hear her encouragement and her prodding (to get things done).  Maybe it's my imagination but I don't think she likes unfinished projects.  I also hear mom reminding me that things don't have to be perfect after all they are made with love.  I miss her greatly.  It has been a hard year.  Still I am finding that with each finished project I feel her love and encouragement.  Maybe that is why it has been easier for me to go back to these projects and get them done.  If so I hope Mom keeps pushing me to finish them,  I still have several.

This week I finished binding 2 baby quilts.  They are in my daughters' hope chests (well closet until we get them hope chests)  One more baby quilt and one full size quilt to bind.  Keep prodding me Mom.