Blanketed with blankets
Several weeks ago, I had the pleasure of going into Thomas Campbell Christian Center Apartments and meeting with several of the residents there. They wanted to volunteer as blanket makers for Grandma’s Lap, and I threw them a blanket-making party. As glamorous as that sounds, it really amounts to some snacks and drinks and the fellowship of one another’s company.
But that was all they needed. They cut fleece and tied knots for nearly two hours. Occasionally stopping for a drink or a cookie, they were predominantly content to work on this project that would benefit others instead of themselves. I was impressed; I would have been trying those snickerdoodles.
I was thoroughly amused by their chatter. They chided, cajoled and encouraged one another during the blanket-making process. Talk of grandchildren, health issues, hobbies and the weather was punctuated by the “shwip, shwip” of the scissors. (Speaking of scissors: the ones I brought were not satisfactory, and several of the ladies generously returned to their apartments for their own, sharper pairs.)
Some fingers were more gnarled than others, and those who were able to cut did so for those who were not. The ladies worked mostly in groups of two or three, and blankets started piling up where yards of fleece had once been placed. In the short time they worked, nearly two dozen blankets were made.
What’s more, the ladies enjoyed themselves enough they asked me to leave the extra fleece so they could get together on their own to make additional blankets. I got a call a few weeks later that all of their fleece was gone, and I was asked to bring more. Since that time, they have met monthly and became regular contributors to our cause.
Some of these women were confined to wheelchairs, while others were more able-bodied. Several were quite hard of hearing, and at least one was visually impaired. (With the help of her table buddy, she was still able to tie knots and was an integral part of the blankets received from that group of women.) One thing they have in common is these women, from all walks of life, with all sorts of life stories to tell, didn’t let their varying disabilities define them.
That, and they have fully embraced Grandma’s Lap. For that, I am extremely grateful.
For more information on how you can become involved, visit our website, zoeller5.wix.com/grandmaslap, or email me. I would be happy to help throw a blanket-making party for your group, as well. Although, I still won’t promise to stay out of the snickerdoodles.
Laura Zoeller can be reached at zoeller5@verizon.net.