Are you familiar with the book? It’s all about the knitting of prayer shawls to comfort those who are grieving or going through tough times. It’s a beautiful concept, and I decided to give it a go. I wove a shawl for the mom of our student intern, Carly, who died two years ago from Scerloderma. A co-worker mentioned that Carly’s sister might appreciate something as well, though not necessarily a shawl. We decided on a scarf. I chose light as clouds, soft brushed alpaca which came from South America, an area of the world that was important to Carly, combined with other pastel yarns.
It took a while, but finally they were done. I wrapped them up and there they sat in a corner of my bedroom for months. I don’t know what it was, but I was uncomfortable of the thought of presenting them to people I hardly knew. I guess I didn’t want to stir up more sadness for them.
One day, I was invited to a party and heard that Carly’ sister would be there, too. I gathered up my courage and my boxes. As she was leaving that evening, I pulled her aside and explained to her what I had done, as well as my discomfort. I don’t know what I was thinking, they were so appreciative.
It ended up being OK, I think the comfort being that Carly is still very much alive in our hearts and making a difference in all of our lives. It’s been three years since she worked for us and we still refer to her good work regularly and I wanted her mom to know that. It’s a sad story with a bit of happiness attached to the end. One of life’s difficult mixes.
Life's a Stitch 
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