Kenna Worthington: A lot of my grandkids know me as "Quilt Grandma." I went into a quilt shop and decided then and there, I wanted to make quilts.
Kristina Winn: You made me a crocodile quilt. I remember the Lego quilt.
Kenna Worthington: Yes, my grandchildren had the opportunity to choose a quilt design that they wanted. And I learned to make a lot of quilts that I never thought I would. And I learned to draft my quilt designs, because there aren't a lot of elephant patterns out there, or Harry Potter castles.
Kristina Winn: Do you have one that is your favorite?
Kenna Worthington: My favorite quilt is always the one I'm working on. And the second favorite one is the one in my head that's trying to get started. I call it my therapy, an opportunity to just sort through what I'm thinking about; what's worrying me or to just relax and enjoy.
Kristina Winn: Grandma, how has your life been different than what you'd imagined?
Kenna Worthington: I thought my life would be, to be a wife and a mother. The divorce was a defining moment. It was difficult. It was dirty. And then when you find yourself almost alone in the world of four little kids, and you're the only one responsible for them. That's a trial of faith. And that's when you push yourself up off the muddy bottom of this mess you're in. You aren't locked in like, like culture said at that time. There are so many other opportunities available. One of my great experiences in life was singing with a single adult choir. I learned a lot then and had a wonderful director. She taught me how to develop my voice. And I made the conscious decision: We have a family growing up, there are going to be events where they're going to want both their parents or the grandchildren will want their grandparents. We cannot be at war with each other. We have to be friends. And that has been the course since then.
Kristina Winn: That's True. It was never this awkward, like, okay, they're going to be in the same room. What are we going to do? I never thought about it.
Kenna Worthington: Right. The event is about you or your siblings or your cousins.
Kristina Winn: Grandma, what are your dreams for your grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Kenna Worthington: I want them to have love and I want them to learn how to take a bad experience and learn the good from it. I'm remembering I had a teacher who was behind the times even then. I'm left handed. She thought being left handed was terrible, like almost a mortal sin. Wouldn't be long before I feel my paper pulled out of my hand and turn the other way. And then I had to use my right hand. 'Till she had her back turned again. But the blessing and all that experience: she taught me I can use my right hand too. As a quilter, I use my rotary cutter often and there is one cut that makes sense to cut it (for me) with the right hand. Just things like that. You don't recognize it when it's happening. It's frustrating when it's happening. Sometimes we have to wait till life tells us what that lesson was.
Kristina Winn: Oh, Grandma, I love you.
Kenna Worthington: I love you, Christina.
Kristina Winn: I love you so much.
