Introduction to Life Quilting

This may seem like an obscure topic area for a blog site, but the idea takes me back to a time when life seemed a little more simplistic and heartfelt. My wonderful mother opened my eyes to the true art form that is self-expression. It seems that life is constantly bringing me back to the idea of a life quilt and what it means when transposed to the human experience.
Mom shared with me that she had gathered scraps of her own clothing, as well as her mother and sister's, to create a quilt. In this way, the past was remembered, and both rich and faded patterns were recycled. When my mother was nineteen, as I am now, she sewed many of her own clothes. She always enjoyed crafting my Halloween costumes creatively from scratch. And then- she designed her masterpiece: Mom established the "people quilts." These were artistic life scenes that captured a family in one year's time: she made one for my grandmother, one for two of my aunts, my uncle, and one of her dear friends. It amazed me how she captured the body language and the human qualities in the little figures that represented each family member. The beauty of it was that the figures had no faces. Through watching people and observing the little things about them that made them special, my mother created what I would call a 'textile ethnography.' I am ashamed to say that sewing is not one of my strenths (I think I made some boxers and a pillow in Middle School Home Economics), but I have taken up the task of reversing my mother's process: noticing the fabric the comprise people. This may sound strange, but I feel that one's life is a quilt (rather than simply the other way around). Once you see the completed blanket, you are unable to go back and remove squares without changing the whole gestalt of the piece. Yes, there are some rough "patches," and some squares made of the finest silks, but you need to be patient while sewing on the square, or stage of life, that you are currently working on. The best way to learn about yourself and to make the most of your experiences is to watch and learn from others; to wrap up in someone else's quilt from time to time, or, at the very least, admire their handiwork. See, whatever religion or philosophy your live by, one thing is certain: you are not alone in your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Each of our quilts turns into a square that is part of the larger, universal quilt. How exciting!! By taking a "sewing class" we can learn from others about what they stitch into their lives, and when they decided to get the old seam-ripper out.
I am currently a public relations major, and am pursuing minors in anthropology and political science at the S.I.Newhouse School of Communcations at Syracuse University. This is just one square of mine, and does not solely define me, but it is important to me right now. It is affording me to witness some excellent potential material for future blog posts about each of the squares I hope to touch on. Each square will turn into a different post or chapter.
So watch, observe, and take in the fabrics of others. Get sewing!