Preparing My Weaving

I'm making a long weaving as one of the components of an installation I'm working on now called "We Made a World of our Own". The weaving is made up of old clothes, which I have cut up into strips and sewn together end on end. The whole process of getting the clothes from my family has been an emotional walk down memory lane. Touching and smelling the clothes has meant so much to me these last few days. Shirts worn by my dad and grandma, both gone now, have been hard to cut up for this project but I know it's an important aspect of the installation. One of the best parts of this journey has been the night I spent at least two hours on the phone with my 94 year-old grannie talking about the past and taking down detailed notes about my family tree. She struggles with her memory now, but it was as if time stood still and she was able to recall things from her childhood. She was able to remember names, dates, and details like they happened yesterday. What a relief to know these things are now documented. At the end of our conversation, I was spent. I was sure I had drained her but she said that it had made her day to be able to talk like that with me. I guess what I'm amazed at is that by creating this work about my memories and family history, I'm actually having new experiences and creating new memories. I feel so blessed by this. In this life, I've been very loved.