The Quilt

I was about 12 weeks pregnant with Justin when my mom passed away last year. We were scheduled to find out the gender of #3 just two weeks later, and then I would have been able to visit my folks, show them the ultrasound photos, and pick out colors, fabric & a design for the baby's quilt.

I believe I've mentioned it here before, but Mom was quite the artist when it came to quilting. The way she could choose colors and patterns and construct a masterpiece mystified me. When I asked her to create an Ohio State quilt for Aiden, she delivered. And Nolan's baby quilt is just as treasured.

Unfortunately, she would be unable to make a quilt for Justin. And as with everything related to her death, that really hurt.

But one of her sisters was not about let Justin be quiltless; my amazing Aunt Annie told me it would be an honor to make his quilt.

I still get teary when I think about how touched I was by her offer. And I know how tickled Mom would have been that she was stepping in.

I enthusiastically accepted, and gave her little more direction than I wanted to use some fabric from Mom's collection, and I wanted an Ohio Star somewhere in the pattern. Aunt Annie did the rest.

And this past weekend, on the one-year anniversary of Mom's passing, she presented me with Justin's gorgeous quilt.

To say that it's perfect just doesn't seem like enough. And saying thank you to Annie seems almost trite.

She connected my mom and my son in a way that I never could, and I will forever be ridiculously grateful.

I'm pretty sure a certain someone feels the same way. :)