stitching as service

This year our first graders are making blankets for the Fire Department. The goal of the blanket is to comfort a child who is in a situation where the Firefighters have intervened. The blankets are cozy polar fleece squares.  The students cut fringe along two edges to add a bit of fun. Though the gift is fluffy and soft to the touch, we want the child who receives it to be comforted inside and out. Enter the best part of the gift, a special message sewn on the back. We want our students to understand that they may never know who receives the blanket and yet they can still provide words of encouragement and comfort. We are called to serve those we know as well as those we don't know.

Today I am prepping the cotton rectangles on which these messages will be written. I have not been sewing much lately and am trying to soak up each and every minute. There is something therapeutic about cutting over thirty 9"x6" rectangles all of simple white cotton. As I make each cut and iron each one flat I am praying that the messages our students write will bring hope and peace to those in our community.