Wilkinson’s World has been somewhat neglected for the last six months, I’m afraid. It’s not that we haven’t been on any exciting adventures, although these have been few and far between with Rob’s workload, but I have been very preoccupied with my latest hobby – quilting. At the end of a busy year, or the beginning of a new one, it’s always a good idea to think about that very precious commodity called Time.
I read somewhere (I think the author was Seneca) that people are quick to guard their personal property and spare no expense to do so (especially those of us who live in South Africa), but when it comes to squandering their time, folks are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy. We tend to live as if we are destined to live forever, never sparing a thought to our own frailty, and it never occurs to us how much time has already passed. We also don’t think that the hours and days we are devoting to somebody or something may very well be our last.
And on that sombre note, I am reminded of the hundreds of happy hours that I have spent this last year absorbed in making quilts and items for family members. It has been a real labour of love. There’s always that gut-wrenching time before they open the gift when I wonder if they will love it and whether all those (sometimes back-breaking) hours were worth the effort. Then the satisfaction on seeing their happiness and gratitude when they set eyes on it and I know that each stitch was worthwhile after all.
My lovely sister, Franky, has written and illustrated three children’s books about the adventures of a frog called Mr Foggerty. I decided to surprise her by making cushion covers depicting the front covers of all three of her books. Her tears of gratitude when she received these gifts made every minute meaningful.
I made this sweet little cot quilt for my grand-daughter, Kyra, who has been given strict instructions by her mom to look after it as it is a family heirloom. It was hardly a masterpiece, but what a lovely thing to call it a family heirloom!
Months in the making was a colourful quilt with lots of pictures so that our twin grand-daughters could play “I Spy”. They are still a bit young for that, so will have to rely on Mom and Dad to play “Find a …” until they know their alphabet.
I ended the year off making a Christmas table runner to be donated to Hospice. My friend loved it so much that she ended up buying it off me and I donated the cash to Hospice instead.
So, was my time wasted? Hopefully not. I know I brought a lot of joy to my immediate family and gave a lot to myself in the process.
Neil Diamond ends my blog off, with the fourth verse of his song “Hell Yeah” in which he sings :
“If you’re asking for my time, Isn’t much left to give you, Been around a good long while, So I gotta say it fast, Time is all we’ll ever need, But it’s gotta have a meaning, You be careful how it’s spent, Cause it isn’t going to last.”
Happy new year!!
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