the sweetest kind of gift

It's not always something you hold in your hands, but rather in your heart. I have to share this stitching story with my stitching friends.

I started in the cyber world with Cross Stitch Pals with Amy. It was a time of secret pals and I loved making my pals happy with those little surprise gifts for four months until the "unveiling". The time before we knew who our secret pal was.

For some reason that I never really knew I had two pals who got my name and didn't honor the game. I still had a lot of fun sending, but the receiving was another thing. Two times this happened and two times very thoughtful people adopted me.

One was Sally who was so good to me I felt guilty. She sent so many things I will never be able to make it up to her. She and I have become really good friends through our stitching buddy group which she joined after that round of secret pal.

The other one called herself Bo Peep and she began to write me on the board calling me the little lost sheep. I spent so much time and energy trying to find out who she was but no one seemed to know...not even Amy or the other regulars. That round ended with me never knowing who had taken care of me but she crosses my mind from time to time.

I found out today. She was and is my youngest daughter, Karen, who was a part of the secret pal thing both sending and receiving. This is how she knew exactly what to say and what to send. She had her ways of getting things to me from people in other parts of the country so I just stayed confused.

She called me today while I was out and told me just like that. She said "Mom, do you remember Bo Peep who rescued you on secret Pals? That was me" Just like that after all these years. I cried right there in the middle of the bookstore.

That is Karen to the right...she has a tender heart and is always reaching out to help someone. The sparkle left her eyes when her husband died in 08 and I keep waiting for it to return. She always had laughing eyes. She has a weakness for silk threads but doesn't cross stitch anymore.

The few stitches at the top are the few stitches I put into a French sal called Spring Bouquets. I know, I know. I really am going to work on the challenges.

hugs,

Babs