Early reports on COVID-19 compared what was developing to the "Spanish Flu", an influenza pandemic (流感大流行) just over 100 years earlier. And yet, I grew up never having heard my parents speak of it or their experiences! I had questions about it, but no answers since my parents are no longer with us. I thought to myself, "I don't want this kind of thing to happen to the younger generation in my family in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic."
One day in December 2020, 1 had an idea of a family quilt (被子) documenting our family's experience of the pandemic. The idea excited me because I've always loved quilting. Also, I really wanted something creative to do during lockdown.
I ran the idea by my family members - my four adult children and their spouses (配偶) (with invitations also to my eight grandchildren). They all gave it some thought and said "Go for it!"
So, I asked each person to create a square to express their views on and experiences of the pandemic. We did some brainstorming together. I ordered the cloth and quilting supplies we needed. And we found a good local shop that did a great job printing photos and other designs onto cloth. Each family unit contributed a few completed squares for a total of 20 squares. The quilt covers three generations: the youngest family member is 17 this year, and I'm the oldest at 83. It took us almost four months from the time I imagined it to the day I finished sewing (缝) it up.
Once the pandemic has ended, I will sew the end date and any other key information onto the inside of the quilt. It may not be as skilled as some of my earlier work － I hadn't made a quilt in a long time! － but it's certainly one of the most creative and exciting things I've done, already serving the cause of bringing our family closer together.
