While we may be enjoying our summer break, we all know the beginning of a new school year is just around the corner. Even in the primary through high school years, there is a lot of planning and a great deal of preparation required before that first day.
When you are preparing to send a child off to college, there is a whole new world of concerns. One of the first challenges we face is the cost of tuition. In these uncertain economical times where job loss, downsizing and bankruptcies are a part of everyday concerns, the last thing we need is the fear of not being able to give our children what they need to prepare to provide for themselves in the future. A college education has become a necessity in many occupations and as parents; we want our children to succeed. However, for many of us, tuition is staggering and we have no idea how we are going to financially survive the first year, much less the subsequent years required to obtain a degree. Frequently, parents sacrifice a few non-essentials; perhaps even forego a vacation in order to subsidize our children's education. In some homes, it may become necessary to make even greater sacrifices.
I recently read an article about an intelligent and giving young woman who will be starting college in the fall. This young lady has already proven her academic ability during her high school years. In addition to her studies, she has earned her wings by becoming a licensed glider pilot and now works in that industry. She also gives her time to charitable needs in her community by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.
I think we would all agree that this young woman deserves the opportunity to attend college, but the story doesn’t stop here. There is the question of tuition. I was deeply touched when I originally read this article because of the sacrifice her mother, Evelyn, is willing to make in order to help her daughter. In addition to any proceeds Evelyn earns from her articles on Squidoo, she is offering to sell her own new handmade quilt.
Now I ask you to think about that for a moment. It takes hundreds of hours of painstaking work with a needle and thread to hand make a quilt large enough to cover a queen sized mattress. Some quilters work on just one bedspread over the course of years before it is complete and ready to use.
Yes, I would say this is a sacrifice! It will not be a blanket easy to replace. Actually, it will be irreplaceable and yet this mother is willing to sell her quilt. Whether it started as a labor of love, I cannot say, but I do know this quilt symbolizes a true gift of love.
Education is one of the most valuable gifts we can give to our children, but love is the greatest gift.
Visit: Handmade Quilt for College
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