Do you ever read stories about women in the “olden days” and wonder how they could be so strong? Sometimes I wonder if I would act similarly in a situation or if I would just crumple in a heap and give up. My Grandma was one of those women. She was widowed with 8 children and was able to leave China with them in the 40s before the communists took over.
**I have a feeling that last statement just got my blog banned from a certain large country in the Far East**
Anyway, I mention her here because not only was she strong and brave woman of faith, but she was also a seamstress and the daughter of a seamstress. She passed away when I was in 2nd grade so my memories of her are few, but now as a mom who sews to maintain my sanity, I find myself wondering if she and I would have had much in common. Our conversations might go something like this,
Me: “Grandma, how did you find the strength to take care of all your children after Grandpa passed away?”
Grandma: “Well, dear, God gives you strength when you feel you have no more.”
Me: “I don’t know if I could have done what you did. It seems so incredibly hard to have 3 kids and a dog. I don’t know if I could manage 8.”
Grandma: “Well, dear, you are rather wimpy in that you have 2 cars, a house and an easy life. Perhaps you are too soft to handle the kinds of pressures I had to deal with.”
JUST KIDDING. I know she wouldn’t say that, but then again, she might have thought it because I think it about myself ALL the time.
Yep, these really are pictures of my Grandma. In fact, the littlest one in the chair and hat is my dad! Such a cutie. I wish I had a picture of her sitting at the sewing machine. I wore several dresses that she made for me. The only picture I could find was one of my sister wearing a dress she made. So sweet!
I’m honored to have this kind of history in my family. Grandmothers on both sides who sewed and a mom that taught me to sew when I was young enough to get my finger stuck under the needle on the sewing machine. That’s something you don’t quickly forget.
