Gertrude's trip around the world

My Dad's mother Gertrude Riley Furney did not travel much. She lived and died in southern Missouri, so why would I choose a pattern called "Trip Around The World" to represent her? In my closet I have an old quilt pieced in the uncommon pattern of "Many Trips Around the World" I have always believed it was made by my grandmother Gertrude, but there was nothing to base this assumption on other than my desire for it to be so. And I did desire it. I wanted something to connect me to my Dad's mother, and this quilt was it, I felt it was true, even if I did not know it was true. Finally last summer while visiting my Uncle Dale he offered to show me a quilt that his mother had made. The minute he walked in the room holding that "Many Trips" quilt done just like our quilt but in different colors, I knew Gertrude had made our quilt. I knew she made those quilts for her boys to have long after she was gone. I was sorry for a while that we had been so rough with our quilt, not really appreciating what we had. We camped under that quilt, we picnicked on top of it. Sweat out fevers swaddled in it, I have even eaten Thanksgiving dinner in the Netherlands from a table draped in it and had it carefully shipped back from Hawaii labeled on the manifest as TuTu's Blanket. ( Hawaiians really appreciate a good old quilt!) But you know, in retrospect, I am glad we used the quilt. I am glad that the memories of my life are as intertwined with that quilt as they would have been with Gertrude if she had lived to know me. And you know what else? I think Gertrude would agree. I think she would be pleased to know that she accomplished her mission, that through her quilts, she was known and remembered and loved, and I think she would laugh to know her "Many Trips Around the World" has in fact been around the world!