My cousin and I grew up together. Many summers she and her brothers would spend the time at my parents’ home in Long Beach. We didn’t live far from the beach, maybe a quarter mile away and at the end of our block, we had the bay. So, as children, we would jump in the open water off through a hole in the fence and swim. What does this have to do with a quilt filled with love?
After my sister passed away last May, I was devastated. Mindy, my cousin, called me every day. I always thought of her as my middle “big” sister. Mindy was two years younger than my sister and two years older than me. Right in the middle. She helped me in so many ways and I am eternally grateful to her. What does this have to do with a quilt filled with love?
One day, I was going through my closet and she called. “What’s going on?” she asked me.
“I’m throwing out all my race tee shirts,” I told her. “Why am I saving them?”
“Don’t throw them out,” she said, “send them to me.”
So, I boxed up about 20+ tee shirts from various races including triathlons and sent to my cousin in Denver, Colorado.
Around the holidays, a big box arrived at my home with big letters that said, “DON’T OPEN UNTIL WE FACETIME!”
I called up Mindy via Facetime. “What did you send me?” I asked her.
“Just open it and you’ll see,” she said.
Mind you, Mindy is one of the most creative people I know. She’s been quilting for years and has always been an “arts & crafts” type person.
When I opened the box, I found a gorgeous quilt filled with love! It had every single race that I did during the last couple of years. What a meaningful present!
Everyday, I’m grateful for the people in my life and I’m particularly grateful that Mindy is in my life. I love my new blanket and I love my cousin!
P.S. I started saving all of my current race tee shirts for another quilt filled with love. Haha… I hope she’ll do it again!
