Burlap Daisys

This picture was taken in 1971 at our home in San Diego. I was about 10 years old. That's me on the right. Next to me is my mom, then my oldest sister, (she had blonde hair down to the middle of her back, not sure why she's wearing a wig) then the two guys my parents invited for Thanksgiving dinner. (There was a program where you could open your home to military personnel for the holidays.) My dad and middle sister aren't in the picture, but they were there too.

But I'm not showing you this to necessarily talk about my family. What I want to do is draw your attention to the picture that's hanging on the wall.

 

My sisters say my mom bought this as a kit and would work on it in the evenings. It hung in our various homes as I was growing up. It's like a green burlap background and the flowers are made with stitches of yarn. 

Fast forward 30 years. My husband and I are living in Seattle and my mom has recently passed away. My heart was aching from missing her. I wanted to surround myself with things that reminded me of her so I decided to go to an antique store near our house. It's quiet and always brings back memories of my childhood. I hoped it would help ease the pain of my broken heart. I'm wandering through the store when I see this:

 

The EXACT picture that hung in our home all those years ago! There's a glass frame on it now, but it's the same picture! I just froze and immediately emotions bubbled up from deep inside. I called Chuck and through my tears I told him, "I don't care how much it costs, I'm buying it!" (It turns out it really wasn't that much, I just knew I had to have it!)

Over the years I've tried to figure out how this picture made it's way from San Diego to Washington State. Of course, it could very well be that my mom wasn't the only person who purchased this kit all those years ago. Second, after Chuck and I moved to Seattle, my mom followed us two years later. Maybe she brought this with her and got rid of it while she lived here? (But, we helped my mom move and I don't ever remember seeing it among all of her things. It never once hung in any of the homes she lived in while she was here.)

There is a very good chance this is just another random picture from the thousands that were bought and made back then. But in my heart, I want to believe the Lord put the exact picture in my path that my mom lovingly created, stitch by stitch. I want to believe that her hands held this exact burlap, her fingers gingerly moved the needles back and forth to create these very flowers. This picture now hangs in my living room.

 

 

 

My mom passed away in 2005 and I miss her every day. Her birthday was August 31. She would have been 80 this year.