thoughts, words, deeds

the loom

Write about a family heirloom or simply an object that's been passed through the generations in your family.

During the Great Depression, my mother's father's family lived in northern Ohio. Great-grandma had five children and needed money--like everyone else. One of the things that she did was weave rag rugs on a loom that was hand made. I don't know who made it, but we have it, now. It sit about three and a half feet tall and takes up half the room. It's a two heddle loom that switches as it's beaten.

Right now, the loom isn't set up. It's too big for our house. I'm not sure what is going to happen next, either. I do know that eventually, the loom will go to one of my sisters.

I've never really been home while it as set up. While I was overseas, Mama set it up in front of the television, and my siblings made rugs from a warp that my great grandmother had set up. We have a roll of rugs now, from our past, our leftovers, old clothes and old blankets. And one of those rugs are in every single one of my siblings homes.