A Gift of Love

Years and years ago, Granny Daisy, Steve's maternal granny, made 2 lap quilts and gave them to our kids.  The kids were too young to really enjoy them, but they were the perfect size to sit on the sofa, cover up and watch tv with - and they certainly used them for that.  They were such a perfect size that I used them all the time, too - and so did every one else that sat on the sofa.  I would fold them and put them on either end of the sofa where they were constantly reached for.  Years past, and I think the kids forgot they were theirs - and we just kept on using them.  Each kid grew up and moved away from home and 'forgot' to take their blanket... never mind, mom forgot the remind them.

It became a joke to us all - the kids would come to visit and pull down a blanket to use it, they would comment that they needed to remember to take theirs home, and promptly forget.  Hey, they were getting no complaining (or reminding) from me - I loved their blankets.  Finally, one did remember to take hers home, but I still had the other one.  And much later, when our son settled down with a wife and family, I felt guilty enough to send his to him.  Man, how I missed Granny Daisy's quilts!  They were as much a part of me as they were part of the kid's lives.  I had to find a new lap quilt, but no matter what I used, nothing compared to Granny Daisy's quilts.

Now why I didn't make one myself I will never know.  I can sew, and can actually sew quite well.  Granny Daisy's quilts were not fancy ones - they were honestly, pieces of material, random sizes, cut and stitched together.  The colors did not even go together - they were literally random pieces.  Steph had taken pics with her iPhone, but I cannot save them - so until I get pictures, you will just have to imagine a very loved, haphazardly-thrown-together-hodgepodge of color quilt.  I have not had a lap quilt for years  :-(

Enter Mother's Day.  Steph had let me know she had sent a gift to me for Mother's Day and to be sure and let her know when I got it - before I opened it.  I didn't get it in time for Mother's Day.  I waited and waited... doing that and thinking of Singapore's mail system kinda scared me.  I have yet to receive 2 cards sent to me; one in November 2008 and another in March of this year.  But finally, a week after Mother's Day it arrived.

With that little part of our family around me (Steph and punkin' on Skype) and Steve next to me, I opened the box.  Punkin' had thrown some random stuff in for granny and papa (I love those random things), and finally, the big surprise:

When I saw it, I had hopes that it might be a lap quilt, but I wasn't sure...

Then I was sure it was after I saw our grand kid's names on it - look at my expression of surprise!

Do you see punkin' and her mom in the background?  

I opened it up and what did I see?

Three little hands waving back at me!   :-)

While admiring those hands, I saw this:

And that my friends, is a quilt made of love.

You will never know how much that means to me, Steph.  When I am using it now on the sofa, the hands and your square are over my heart.  I have you all with me all the time - close to my heart - where you are every minute of my day.  Thank you so much for this gift - it is a gift chock full of love that will last me the rest of my life - heck your quilts served me well for nearly 25 years!

I love you.  And thanks from the bottom of my heart with the hands and your little note keeping it warm.  You.  Rock.