Do you recognize the things your spouse loves with tangible evidence?

Let me share a story:

When I was in Highschool, I hated science. Graduation required two years of it, so as a freshman, I took General Science. My Senior year, I only needed another Science course and an English course to graduate. Every science I could take required a Biology prerequisite. So, Biology it had to be. Since I had procrastinated taking Biology until my senior year, I was in a classroom full of Freshmen and Sophomore brainiacs. These guys knew how to raise the curve.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have the brains. I just didn’t have the passion. The first day’s homework was a list of 100 terms to know for a quiz the next day. I realize now, that was likely to see how much we knew already, but these were terms I hadn’t seen since ninth grade and I didn’t really want to spend my entire last year of high school learning about a science I would never use. (That’s a joke because as a nurse I’ve been using biology for twenty years, but that’s another story.)

Fortunately, the school counselor sympathized with my plight and after reviewing my records, noted I had had three years of homemaking. “Must have a passion for that,” she’d said. Turns out four years of homemaking is equal to one year of science. Imagine!

All that to say this:

Once I graduated and married, I wanted to make clothes for my new toddlers. I didn’t have patterns or material or a sewing machine, but I did have a mending kit with needles, thread, buttons, and scissors. My senior year of homemaking taught me to do alterations and so I cut open a brown paper grocery bag, flattened it and laid a pair of Billy’s shorts on it and cut out a pattern. I did the same with a shirt and one of Cindy’s summer dresses. Now I had patterns.

Mushroom curtains

For material, we had some old kitchen curtains and an old white pillowcase. I was so excited. I cut out the patterns and began to sew the shorts and shirt by hand. The ruffle from the curtains made awesome sleeves and a hem for the dress—not much sewing for that—and the pillowcase made a nice white shirt to go with Billy’s mushroom curtain shorts.

When they paraded their outfits in front of their dad, he was shocked. I’m still not sure if it was the fact his children were wearing mushroom curtains, or if it was that I could accomplish such a thing without a sewing machine. Cindy was elated that I could sew by hand. We made doll clothes with the scraps. Matching sets. Doll clothes are easier to sew by hand and they don’t have to fit just perfect for your child to appreciate them.

Gift of love

The next week, I opened my front door to the delivery of a new sewing machine, complete with a cabinet. I was dumbfounded. Later, Bill’s mom, Ileane, took me to K-Mart where we bought a bag of material and patterns including one for me. I felt so very loved.

I hauled that sewing machine around for forty years. Finally, I gave it to my oldest granddaughter who wanted to sew for her three kids. Today, I have my Mom’s Singer sewing machine in a cabinet and Ileane’s beautiful black portable antique Singer. I love them both.

Have you received a gift of thoughtfulness you’d like to share? Have you given something to your spouse to show you love the things he loves? We’d enjoy hearing your stories.

Remember, wherever you are you are at the right place when you come to my website and read my blog. Come on back and share a slice of life with me.