A Mother's Embroidery

Today is Mother's Day and since I've posted several times about my own mother, I thought I would write a post today about my mother-in-law.  My mother-in-law was known to me mostly by my husband's stories and my few short years of time with her.  She was truly an amazing woman who overcame quite a bit of adversity in her early life.  She was a dedicated military officer's wife and handled the uncertainty and mobility of that life with grace, loyalty and pride.  Somewhere along the line she taught herself to embroider.  I have a few pieces of her work hanging in my house.  Look at the incredible detail and perfection of the stitches.

Sadly, by the time I met her she had lost her eyesight and could no longer continue her hobby.  She faced her blindness with the same strength and grace that defined her life.  I didn't realize the depth of her needle skills until after she died and we were cleaning out her apartment and I realized just how very much the loss of her eyesight had taken away from her.  I'm glad these pieces remain.  Belongings are often a very temporary thing in the career military family with items being purged at every move.  These exemplify her elegance and grace.  Her story tells of her tenacity and strength.  I'm privileged to have known her even if only for such a short time