Enduring: [en-doo r-ing] adjective
1. lasting; permanent
2. patient; long-suffering.
“True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island... to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing. ”
Congratulations! You have endured to the end of our Friendship Quilt Along! Finishing a quilt is a culmination of a lot of things. You’ve needed certain elements like a pattern, fabric, thread, batting, patience, skill, precision and time. And just like the quilt you are finishing up/ have made, an enduring friendship needs all the qualities represented in your quilt.
Now that you have combined all these elements for quilt-making, you will not only have a beautiful quilt but you will hopefully also have a stronger sense of community, a reaffirmed belief in the power of friendship and a reminder of why and how friendships are so important.
All these wonderful qualities of friendship were wonderful to explore but a bit of a challenge to write about. You see, all of these qualities intertwine and connect. It proved difficult to write about one quality with out mentioning others. Why? It might have been an easy task for the writer of a dictionary, but for me it was a struggle. Here is my best answer.
Have you ever hear the phrase, Stronger together? Well it’s true. We only need to look at nature and it’s evolutionary history. Whether it’s a swarm, pack or herd, animals & all almost every other creature survives and thrives when they are apart of a group or even a couple. Nature’s structural support even shows off this principle. Think of the hexagonal shapes of wasps nest and honeycomb. Just one could be easily damaged but by adding many together it becomes much stronger. All ecosystems work because there are several parts working together to create a strong and stable environment. So how does this apply to friendship?
If you consider all of the qualities we’ve spent the last few months on you will have noticed that they all seem to be linked. Think of each quality like a ring of steel. Strong and valuable in its own right. Now think of each of those qualities connected like the Olympic rings. What we get is the beginning of chainmail. If we can achieve and maintain these qualities of friendship we will be more fit to protect ourselves and others. And by combining with others who share in this strength we be become a powerful and beautiful thing.
“Of all possessions a friend is the most precious. ”
May our friendships endure and be a strong as chainmail and as warm and soft as the quilt you’ve finished. Thank you for taking this journey with us!
“It’s not that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but it’s your best friends who are your diamonds. It’s your best friends who are supremely resilient, made under pressure and of astonishing value. They’re everlasting; they can cut glass if they need to. ”
About this block: be sure to wait until your quilt is done being quilted to add your buttons, or you may lose your quilter as your friend! Enjoy your quilt!!
xx
Amanda