Mom’s hope chest held threads of wisdom

Under my watchful eye as a little girl, I observedmy mother crochet. Mother’s hands were always occupied, for she would sit on the couch in the living room for hours and crochet bedspreads . . ..

Under my watchful eye as a little girl, I observed my mother crochet. Mother’s hands were always occupied, for she would sit on the couch in the living room for hours and crochet bedspreads, blankets, delicate tablecloths and placemats.

“I’m making these things for your hope chest,” she would tell me.

“What is a hope chest?”

I once questioned.

Mother gently placed her crochet hook on her lap and explained, “A hope chest is used to collect treasures and heirlooms, so you’ll have these things when you grow up and you’re on your own, or if you getmarried one day.”

At just seven years old, I did not quite understand, but since Mother did all things with love, I knew a hope chest was something special.

Christmas was approaching that year, and because we did everything together, I asked, “Mom, will you teach me how to crochet, so I can help fill up my hope chest?”

“Sure,” she said, “we have a few months before the holidays.” And with a flash of inspiration on her face, she uttered, “We will make a blanket for Christmas.”

A couple of days later, we began. Mother gave me a crochet hook and instructed me to pull the loops of green yarn through the other loops. I followed her directions weaving the yarn back and forth, and before long, I was crocheting!

In crocheting, every loop, each stitch counts. And as with life, there are many different components that are all significant to the whole. “Have faith in God and believe in yourself is where it all starts,” I recall Mom saying often.

After that, Mom and I set a goal: to finish the blanket before Christmas. I learned from that experience: “First you must have a plan and commit to it.” For once youmake a commitment to do something; you must be prepared to follow- through.

We pictured in our imagination the end result, the look of the blanket, the feel, and worked cooperatively on our mutual goal. Inner vision and belief is important, for I discovered: “Every dream begins with the decision to try to accomplish it.” If you believe you can, you can

Mom took pride in her work and strived for excellence. I realized: “Whatever you do, set your sights high, pay attention to details, and go the extra mile.” The better your choices, the better your life will be.

My seven- year- old hands crocheted one square at a time. Little steps may appear insignificant, but soon I noticed: “Small steps forward add up to big success.”

As I kept at it, bit by bit, the blanket was being completed.

Sometimes, there were scraps of yarn to spare. Yet Momwould not throw them away, for she used them to sew our crocheted squares together. From that example, I discovered: “Always do the best you