The hope chest:
what image does this conjure in your mind? Maybe you think of a big wooden
chest with kitchen linens, china, silverware and the like in it. Or maybe it's
that big heavy box full of crocheted potholders and embroidered dishtowels your
mom turns out by the dozen. That's what the hope chest is at a glance, a
storage box for things you'll use later in your future home, but upon further
inspection you'll find it's a lot more than that- it's a whole philosophy about
being ready for a family and a home of your own. Here at the Mower house we
call it the art of training your hands.
My mom has been
trying from about kindergarten on to help me develop certain skills and train
my hands to perform them. I was born into 4-H, a youth program which has a lot
of projects geared toward home economics. There are cooking, baking, sewing, crochet,
embroidery, and scrapbooking projects- and I've done them all. It has taken a while to
learn to do these things. When I was younger I was a little afraid of all the
equipment, like the sewing machine, and the iron, and needles. Over time,
though, I've gotten better and better and now have a veritable wardrobe of
skills that will help me later in life. I know how to feed people. I can follow
a pattern and sew things. Even the crafts projects have taught me some odds and
ends about beautifying things (I think I could probably stencil every wall in
the house if I wanted to.) I am becoming ready for future life and I have
confidence because I have been training my hands all these years.
So it turns out
that the hope chest isn't just a box to store material goods for when you need
them later in life. You need more than dishcloths and silverware to be ready to
be on your own. You need to know certain skills as well. I think it is a lot
better to go into married life with confidence than to go into it without a
clue as to what you are doing. Training my hands now has helped develop that
confidence and peace of mind, which will ultimately help me have a happy home.
Respectfully submitted by Miss Abigail
Amen! Well said Miss Abigail and I totally agree! The more prepared you are mentally, spiritually and physically, the better life will be with your future mate!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written, Miss Abigail! You would be surprised at how many grown women (and men) I know with college degrees who have no idea how to keep a home clean, fix a hem/sew on a button, or do more than microwave a frozen prepared dinner. I know teachers who throw away/give away clothing because a button came off! Several of my teacher friends do not own irons or cook at all. My son knows how to do all those things. He is clumsy but effective at sewing buttons and he is a great cook and a detailed cleaner. My daughter is a good cook and cleaner and is adequate at sewing repairs. I am sure that your parents are so very proud of you and all your accomplishments.
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