Aprons: Telling Stories to the Next Generation

My great grandma made this apron.


I never knew her, yet I've been told stories. And somehow this apron tells a story, too.

You see, when she was about 38, she lost her arm in a machine at the factory where she worked. For a bit, it seems they didn't know whether or not she'd survive. But she did.

I've been told that she never cried as a result of her loss. She simply moved on and embraced her new life. Somehow, even with one arm, she figured out a way to knit. crochet. play piano. peel potatoes. And even make this apron.

The apron speaks to me of her courage and determination. It shows me that she had a heart turned toward her home. I envision her wearing this apron, going about her daily tasks. Making breakfast. Cleaning. Assisting and loving her mentally disabled son. Hanging laundry out to dry. Taking care of a sick neighbor.

I feel blessed to possess the apron my great grandma made so many years ago. And somehow, it was the beginning of my love for aprons. Because aprons speak to me of family...hard work...saying no to idleness...giving and loving and blessing.

Several months ago, I became enamored with an apron I found online. While I drooled over the pattern of it, I wasn't a fan of the $80 price tag. My very loving mother-in-law, a professional seamstress, offered to make one for me in the same style. Needless to say, she had fun and I was over-the-top blessed. A partnership of sorts ensued. She's discovered her love for making and creating these aprons as much as I love receiving and wearing them.

And now, several months later, I'm the oh-so-grateful recipient of 4 more handmade aprons by my sweet mother-in-law.

Clockwise beginning at the far left: 1). the first apron made for me back in February 2). a coffee-themed apron 3). a follow-up apron after my mother-in-law found coffee bean fabric 4). an unexpected surprise: two "one-of-a-kind" aprons made for one-of-a-kind friends 5). the personalized apron made for my friends and me for my parents' 40th anniversary party

As I wear them, I sometimes wonder about my daughters-in-law...granddaughters...great granddaughters. I wonder if one day these aprons will be passed onto the next generations and if they'll understand the love behind them. Will they remember a grandma who so lovingly sewed them with such precision and attention to detail? Will they be motivated by her selfless, generous love? Will they be spurred on as they think of the one who wore them? The one who so often failed and dropped the ball, but the one whose heart and desire was for her family? Will they be encouraged to work hard and do their families good all the days of their lives?

My family...and those family members yet to come...motivate me to love like that. And I'm grateful for the simple apron that gently reminds me and pulls my attention back to a single-minded goal. May Jesus be glorified in my life by the way I love and serve those around me.