I've been working on this labor of love since 1984 when I became pregnant with the twins; However, I haven't touched the stitching in years and have been looking for the card- table- size board since we moved here to Tillamook.
I know, you're probably wondering why a person would ever take on such a feat, a card-sized cross-stitching. Several reasons come to mind. Matt loves to play Monopoly. We played it when we were dating. We had most of our dates at home as AW was five, babysitters were expensive, and I didn't want to leave him after I'd worked all day with him in day care. So, Matt and I would start dates at 8 and 9 at night after I put AW to bed and play games until the wee hours of the morning sometimes. He beat me at Monopoly so badly I didn't want to play anymore. It conjured up memories of the Christmas my brother Mike got his first Monopoly game and gleefully raked in money and property leaving me wondering what happened. Mike has a head for business, numbers, and such just as Matt does. I have a head for language. Mike loved beating me maybe because it was a great escape from our rocky childhood. I might give myself credit for building my brother's confidence to be the successful businessman he is today from these humble beginnings. He had lots of practice building empires and little competition.
Matt took a different tack when we played Monopoly. Of course, he was trying to win my hardened heart; but he taught me ways to win at Monopoly. He explained how it was about taking risks and I think he may have let me win at least once. He might never admit that... but I did win... at least once.
When Matt and I had the twins, we went from two incomes with one child to one income with three children. Talk about blasting into poverty! What a change of lifestyle when most of your funds are going to diapers and formula! AW still talks about losing his great Sunday morning brunches at the Officer's Club after his "needy" little brothers were born. The three of us made a lot sacrifices from that year forward. Even though I was able to work through the school year, VERY pregnant-ly, I knew I couldn't return to the classroom in September when the babies were due. Alas, 1985 would be the year I would stay home to be a full time mom. I might have slept once or twice that year but mostly I just tried to keep up with things.
That brings us to the reason one might take on a life size Monopoly project. I figured this hand-stitched treasure would be a great gift for Matt, something memorable, homemade, special, and commemorative. Not having money to buy gifts at the time; it would fill the bill perfectly. (It's funny how that usually shakes out though. Let's see, the fabric, pattern, embroidery thread, needles, moving it across the country...several times...maybe it is a more expensive item than I'd thought.) Nevertheless, I wrapped the partially finished project and put it under the tree that Christmas of 1985 when the twins were two months old, AW was 8, and I was half awake. Matt loved it and graciously told me how beautiful it was. I talked about how we'd frame it and mat it and maybe turn it into a game table. It was a hit then and on his February birthday, and on our August anniversary, and the Christmas of '86, and his next birthday...for I kept giving it with a little more stitched each time. It got to be like a bad habit...wrap it up, give it again. Finally, between my teaching, student council advisory, yearbook chair, AW's karate, basketball, boys t-ball, piano lessons, scouting, football, rugby... and shall I go on? The beloved gift with thousands of stitches got pushed to the back of a closet and left for a rainy day.
Rainy days indeed here in Tillamook Oregon with 90 inches of rainfall each year. Yesterday was a time to revisit the stitching. My sons are stitching their own lives together now. AW, 33, has his own 5 year old daughter. The twins, now 25, are grown men. Myles graduated from college and works as a financial analyst and Michael will soon been leaving the army after 8 years of serving his country. He is married with a son of his own and a lovely wife who now lives the military journey. Matt and I are empty nesters with long rainy winters. We've gone back to playing games until the wee hours of the morning and he's still waiting for his completed gift.
As I stitch it is impossible not to look backwards. I picture crawling babies with toys in their mouths, Myles in a deep sleep hanging half off his bed and Michael twiddling his toes to fight his nap. I hear AW's footsteps on the front stoop and hear his "MOM, guess what happened today," as he bounds through the front door and grabs one of his brothers to hug.
In '85 I stitched with earnest and vigor, the project was part of my to-do list, the rhythm one of the few things I could control in the hectic life of a young mother of three. The cross stitch rhythm is the same, up and down and up and down again to cross, over and over again. Now I stitch with patience. My fingers struggle to find the tiny holes and my eyes strain to focus. I stop every few strokes to enjoy the view out my many picture windows that look across the valley. The room is quiet with the exception of Matt's football game, no voices, no children, no interruptions. And, I know it won't matter if I ever finish as 27 years has taught me this man loves me stitching beside him more than he cares about playing a game on this work of art.
Monopoly celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1985 when I bought this pattern so this stitched replica will have the original 1935 logo, that is, should I ever get to that little top hatted man with his cane in the big middle. I pray to have it finished before 2035 when Monopoly will celebrate the 100th anniversary. Parker Brothers will be so proud and Matt and I might actually live long enough to play a game on the stitches of our lives.
I love this -- what a beautiful reflection on your multiple lives: woman, wife, mother -- writer. This is amazing.
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