If you read my monthly Newsletter, you know how excited my niece, Grace, is about her China buttons. The reverence she shows when holding them and the excitement in her voice when she tells you all she knows about China buttons is contagious.
Here is Grace, studying some of her buttons newly acquired from Aunt Jill’s poke buckets; a reward for her, and her brothers, for helping me to break down my booth after a recent show. A fair wage, in her eyes!
But make no mistake, her favorite buttons are her Chinas, or as she puts it “Chiiiiinas!!”
It makes me giddy to hear her be so excited about such a small thing. It makes me all the more resolved to share my enthusiasm for buttons with as many people as I can and hope that it rubs off. It begs the question: Do I feed Grace’s passion or does she feed mine? Can we, as adults, help our children discover those things that make them passionate, and thereby feed our own passions?
( Calico China buttons, about 1/2” in diameter )
If you read the story in the Newsletter, you are also aware that most adults between the ages of, shall we say, 16 and 40, think that buttons, and for the most part all things textile related, is something that “old ladies” do and thus perpetuate a stereotype. I know that I have, personally, had no luck in persuading my own daughter to appreciate sewing, buttons, quilting or the like, and I am sorely disappointed….but only for myself. Emily, my youngest child, is serving in the United States Navy and doing things I never imagined she could do. She gives everything she does 200% of her effort and she is my inspiration.
While Emily may never share my love of fabric and buttons, I can continue to inspire others to know more about their craft through my books, lectures and classes, as well as through this blog and my Newsletter. I invite you to find ways to inspire others and help fuel their passion. I promise you that you will be rewarded for your efforts in surprising and heartwarming ways!
(Our Emily)
No comments:
Post a Comment