Opening My Vault of Happiness
My favorite part of a meal is dessert. There’s rarely a nutritional benefit; it’s sole purpose is delight!
I also welcome other things and experiences into my life for the sheer happiness they bring: flowers growing outside the door, a dog’s wagging tail, the organic fragrance of trees and ferns growing in a park, and the sound of rain falling on the roof.
Happiness in Small Packages
I have a narrow cupboard with four shelves that I recently dubbed my Vault of Happiness.* Each shelf contains soft, colorful fabrics that I purchased to make quilts. Just opening the door to reveal the slightly disheveled piles makes me smile.
This little stack of fabric brings happiness because I appreciate the fabric designers’ creativity, the hand of the cloth, and the carefully bundled packages of fabric artfully tied with a bow.
Happiness in Sharing
Simply admiring my fabric stash isn’t enough. Ultimately I pull it out, cut it up, and stitch it together into a quilt. I enjoy the process, methodically working my way through the steps of a pattern. Often I think about the recipient of the quilt and pray God’s blessing over them.
Last week I opened my Vault of Happiness to share it with my niece. I pulled out stacks of folded fabric that I thought she’d like and let her choose pieces for her first projects. Apparently she is a dog-lover like her auntie because every fabric she chose was printed with a dog motif.
Our happiness multiplies when we can share something we enjoy and light the spark in another person.
Happiness Is a Warm Blanket
Are you a fan of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip? If so, I’m sure you’re familiar with Linus, the young boy who always clutches his security blanket. (Bonus points if you know the one time he lets it fall.)
The image of Linus finding comfort from his blanket is a fitting logo for Project Linus, a nonprofit organization with the mission to “provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer blanketeers.”
Would you like to get involved with Project Linus? For the first time I’m joining a mystery quilt challenge — Exploring the World with Ethan — to benefit Project Linus. By donating $15 to Project Linus (I designated my local chapter: Greater Twin Cities Area), I’ll receive clues over an eight-week period to construct a quilt. Then in January I’ll post a photo of my completed quilt to the Project Linus website and ask people to vote for their favorite quilt by making a donation to Project Linus.
It’s a fun way to increase awareness and involvement with Project Linus while positively impacting the lives of children with a tangible gift.
If you’re already involved with Project Linus or want to join in the mystery quilt challenge, please let me know! I’d love to multiply our happiness by encouraging each other in this adventure to spread happiness.
* Thank you, Susan Ache, also known as @yardgrl60 on Instagram, whom I credit for the phrase “Vault of Happiness.” Susan uses the phrase to describe her cupboard full of quilts.