LOVE chain

A quick project to warm the heart of even the most committed curmudgeon, a love chain is easy to do & priceless to have.

The idea originated in the healing chain made for Mom during one of later years hospitalizations.  By then, she was a regular participant on NC Women on the Internet, albeit under my address.  She was being transferred to the bright, sunny, all private room (many with a view of our church) Holy Redeemer Hospital to a fairly bleak rehab hospital farther from family & friends.

A request to her online friends for a short quote or a few words of personal encouragement received dozens of responses, which I transferred to pages of brightly colored heavy card stock.  I cut them into 1 1/2" wide strips, wrote the name of the sender on the reverse side & forged them all into a healing chain to brighten Mom's hospital room.  

That chain stayed with her through two more hospitalizations & rehab stays, was draped over her bed when she was at home for that last week.  It was a precious opportunity for each person who chose to be part of it, it was a treasure to Mom.  And we were surprised at how much it meant to the doctors, nurses & staffs at the different hospitals - they said just seeing it brightened their day!

As we trudge our way through these last endless weeks of winter, now seems the perfect time to make a love chain for older loved ones.  Think about all the people who are connected to him or her, you can ask each for a word that reminds them of the person or a (short) quote they'd like to share. Type them up so they can be cut into 1.1/2" strips (or as large/small as you like), cut them, add the name to the opposite side, clear tape them into interlocking links & voila - you have a love chain to drape in a room, over a bed, or have in a pile.  Men like it, too, & kids love being part of it.  

Win-win-win!

Credits:
bambinobeats.com
childparenting.about.com 
glogster.com