The Waltons' Quilting Party

Every now and then when I want to feel really good about the past I play the DVD of one of the episodes of the Waltons. The gist of the story is that grandma has been saving and collecting quilt blocks to make a quilt for Mary Ellen when she gets married. When grandma mentions that a-quilting will be at hand, the would-be recipient of the quilt gets in a stir. No, she does not want to get married and have babies, do dishes and laundry. She has her eye on more lofty things to do. She would like to do something more important by becoming a nurse.

After all of the fuss and hurt feelings, Mary Ellen "comes around" and decides to sit in on the quilting bee, next to grandma. At the end of the show, all of the family members arrive singing the song "Seein' Miss Nelly Home" (from the quilting party). Grandpa is dancing as is everyone else when they barge in the door in an exuberant fashion. It was a happy scene and one I won't forget any time soon.

I love shows like the Waltons whose themes are timeless and whose strong family values are apparent. The show may seem "old" now because, after all, the older characters have passed on and the younger ones are all well into adulthood. For me, I never tired of seeing the cast. They capture a moment in time and stories that still need to be told today!

Patricia L. Cummings