sometimes no words can express

sometimes people do something so incredibly special for you that you actually can't find the words to describe it. well that is this post--i don't even know how to express how truly and completely touched i am by what my aunt diane did for me.

about 9 months ago my dad asked me to help him remove all of my mom's clothing from the house. he felt it was time, he was ready. i was not. i was terrified, sad and just not prepared for it. but i knew it was a necessary evil and i wanted to respect him as he's living in that house, not me. and so i did it and i asked my sister in law to help me (sadly she knew how it felt). it was a difficult day but we got through it.

but the day before i opened up the closet doors, my aunt called me. she said she knew i would be going through my mom's things and she told me to put aside some pieces that particularly reminded me of my mom or that i just love. she told me she was going to make me something. knowing that i had the option to put some things aside--and not to wear for myself (b/c that doesn't always feel right) or to just hang in my closet as a hollow memory--but to put toward something else made the process 1000% easier. i'll never forget that phone call from my aunt and i'll never forget how much it helped ease me through one of the worst days of my life.

so on this most recent trip back to PA, my aunt diane and uncle sherb came down to spend sunday with me. and my aunt unveiled a quilt she sewed together of all the special pieces of clothing i gave her of my mother's. when she took it out of the bag and held it open for me, i got overcome with emotion. i was just completely speechless. it was beautiful, familiar, comforting, soft, colorful and creative--everything that was my mom. it is my mom. it's incredible. i can't even write w/o getting emotional, it's just such an incredibly meaningful thing that my aunt did for me and the quilt is just amazing. i absolutely love it. i have it on my bed so every night i can look at it and know that part of my mom is within reach and i'm surrounded by her love. xoxo