By: Ryan Aliapoulios/Shareably  Losing the people we love is a hard fact of life, though sometimes the grieving process can bring us closer together in ways we don’t expect. It can also make us reconsider the roles we’ve played in the lives of others, especially those that we’ve lost. Few stories illustrate these lessons better than a recent one out of Nebraska.

What nobody expected was the sheer number of quilts Hubl made. What makes the story all the more touching, however, is what the quilts represented to Hubl when she was alive. Although sewing and quilting were a good way to pass the time, her quilts were more pointedly away for Hubl to show her love for her children. This lesson especially hit home for Christina Tollman, Hubl’s granddaughter. “Never did I imagine how many there were,” she says. “We covered almost every single pew in the church.”

Throughout her life, Hubl had three children before taking care of her daughter-in-law’s kids after she died. Alongside her husband Henry, Hubl raised all five children together as if they were all her own. When Hubl started sewing it was a relatively manageable hobby. After all, she was just making clothes for her family. But as her kids grew up, they had kids of her own and suddenly her job got even bigger.

Above all, this story reminds us to pause and consider how much we cherish those around us while they’re still here. It may also give us pause to think about how we show one another we care, and how even the small things can mean so much more than we think. Although it can be hard to let go, Hubl’s family will always have their grandmother’s handiwork as a reminder of the love they shared while they were still together.

What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!