“Coincidence”

It’s been a while since I blogged because I’ve been dealing with some minor health issues, my brother-in-law’s death and my mom’s health issues.  All through this, I’m thankful for all the love and support God’s provided through family and friends.  I wanted to write this story down so that I could share it with my family and friends, and so that I would always have a record of this story somewhere.

My mom had been in the hospital five times in a one-month period and we decided to bring her home last Friday under hospice care because she was absolutely miserable in the hospital.  Instead of getting better, she was getting worse and shutting down mentally.  We got her home and she was still agitated in the beginning but, as a few hours passed, she relaxed and started eating, drinking and engaging as she did before she went in.

When Mom was in good health, she was known to be an excellent baker, knitter and crocheter.  She often made sweaters and blankets for other family members.  However, arthritis set into her fingers over ten years ago, so she had to stop and there are some unfinished projects still sitting around the house.  When she’d gone into the hospital last time (early 2021), we had to make room for a caregiver, so much of her yarn was given away as well as her needles and crochet hooks.

Imagine my surprise on Sunday when she asked me to hand her an unfinished blanket in the next room.  I originally thought she was cold and wanted to cover her legs since her favorite pants were in the wash and she was wearing shorts.  But then she asked me for the instruction booklet which I found easy enough.  And then she asked me to find a certain skein of yarn, and I start getting concerned because my mom had yarn all over the place before and I knew I gave some of the best stuff away.  I’m thinking, “I don’t think she even has the manual dexterity to knit anymore.”  After finally finding the yarn she wanted, she asked for a brown crochet hook which she insisted was on the lamp table beside her.  I’m thinking, “That hook is probably long gone by now.”  It’s a small table and I don’t see it.  She insists it’s there, then says to check the floor behind the table.  Sure enough - Mom’s right, so I hand it to her.

Mom tried working on it a bit, but then asked me to put the blanket and crochet hook away… so I thought that was that.  Thought it was kinda weird how she just had an urge to crochet after over ten years, but then let it go.

This morning (Thursday) my cousin Mike McGee texted me:

Good morning Karen! 

How is Auntie Letty doing today? 

And your Dad? 

I have been meaning to ask you, or your Mom actually, about this blanket I found in the house among my Mom’s stuff. (Auntie Mabel passed over a year ago.). It looks like it’s hand made and was wondering if possibly Auntie Letty made it for my Mom.  I don’t know if you can ID her handiwork, or if she could if she saw it first hand. I would have loved to show it to her in person, but I don’t believe I have seen your Mom since my Mom passed. It’s just one of those lingering, do-it-later things and now it’s later. 

It’s a beautiful blanket, an art piece. Measures 49”x 63”. Do you think she could ID it if you showed her these pictures? I’m not sure of her memory these days. 

I replied: OMG Mike - yes it is my mom’s work. Last weekend, when I was with her, she wanted to continue work on an afghan that looks identical to that one! (And I texted him the picture of her looking at it on Sunday, and told him how she had directed me to bring it all to her.)

MIKE: 😺☺️❤️

Your fast and positive reply has me smiling and almost crying at the same time! I’m so glad that I put it aside and it didn’t get given away! It was just too nice to let go even if your Mom didn’t make it. But she did and it means so much to me that it was on my Mom’s bed keeping her warm, made by her big sister!

This is definitely a ray of light on my cloudy 🌥 life! Thank you cuz!!🥰

ME: This is so much more than coincidence! Like Albert Einstein said, “coincidence is God’s way of staying anonymous.”

Mike and I continued to text each other about how it seemed that the sisters were channeling each other through us, about how Mom used to take Auntie Mabel shopping for clothes (including her first bra) because their mom was so busy working, and about how my mom foreshadowed a dark time for Auntie… All things Auntie and Mom talked to us about separately before she passed… I can only see this as another blessing and sign from God of His love and ability to reach through to give us comfort and hope.

All I can say is… I am a believer.