In the 1980s a wonderful new musical told the story of a quilting mother and the quilt of her life. The central block of the quilt was called The Tree of Life and through song, the mother told her birth story. Each additional block added around the central block set the stage for an explanation of the block's origin and meaning.
I had no idea when I saw the musical at Actor's Theater so very long ago that my own mother's story would mirror the musical play's central theme. Betty Boley has spent her last years quilting a legacy for her family. With effort to approximate the words written by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek, the curtain rises on the central character holding a quilt. Pointing to a particular fabric choice, the musical begins something like this.............
My dear darlings,
I know my time is running out and I am piecing my last quilt;
Patterns that have a special meaning to me.
I’ve been a hard worker all my life.
Most all women’s work is the kind that parishes so
I’ve got to leave something behind me.
I hope you will give special care to it.
I hope you will be able to read what is written in it.
In some ways it’s your own story.............
What beautiful treasures Betty has left to her family to hold onto the love and joy she put each stitch into each of those quilts.
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