19 March, 2012

Comfort

The memorial service for my best friend Carol's mom Dorothy was today. It was absolutely perfect, from two of her favorite hymns, to the bell choir playing, to the moving tributes by her brother Larry, friend Marilyn, and Carol.

This is the shawl that I knit for Dorothy when she was still battling cancer.



You know, you hate to ask someone for something when you know they're grieving. Last Saturday (I can't believe only a week and a half has passed—it seemed so long ago), I went to visit Dorothy in the hospital. It was a tough, tough day.

I asked Carol about the shawl. I asked her if I might have it back when her mom no longer needed it because she had passed on to Heaven. You know what she said?

"You know, I was thinking about the shawl today, and I was wondering if you might like to have it."

I know that the next few months will be hard, as everyone who knew Dorothy tries to figure out how to live without her. When it gets really hard, I've got the shawl. I know she was the last one to wear it, and when I'm sad, I think I'll wrap it around myself. It'll be like a hug from her.

It's funny. I thought I was knitting a shawl to comfort her, but really, I was knitting it to comfort me.

3 comments:

Mom said...

This brought tears to my eyes.

Dorothy's daughter said...

Beautiful, Kim! Thank you-I just wish I could call my Mom and read this to her-but I'm sure she watched you write it-Can you print this somehow so that my family can read it?nwart

Andi said...

I was thinking of you today and your friend, wondering how you all were doing.
I am glad you will be able to wrap yourself up in her memories when you need them. I find it wonderful that all the love you put into those stitches was able to comfort you both.
Beautiful words.