Let’s face it. Most of the time, making people cry is a bad thing. But sometimes, it feels pretty good. Like last night, when Mary Sue saw the scarf that I fixed for her DIL. There were tears, and it felt pretty good!
And today, my daughter and I packed up a box of food — a family meal with all the fixins — to take over to her friend’s house. Her friend’s mom was just diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer, with a very poor prognosis. Jena took the box over and spoke to the mom. Again, there were tears, and Jena felt good doing something special for her friend’s family.
Doing something special for others, even strangers, can make one feel pretty good. Knitters are known for their generosity and kindness, and I have tapped this trait in the past! I would like to take advantage of your generous spirits once again.
Many of you may remember the “Wrapped in Care” Program I posted about a couple of years ago. It is part of the Bereavement Program at United Hospital and Children’s Hospitals and Clinics – St. Paul. The program helps mothers deal with infant loss and the pain of leaving the hospital with empty arms. Handknit shawls are provided to these women for two reasons: to give them something tangible to wrap themselves in and also to provide a suitable backdrop for the last photos they will ever have of their infant.
Many of you knit shawls in the past — so many that Dee Moore (the chaplain and my contact) was overwhelmed! Well now they have decided to expand the program and model it after the “Care Carts” used in hospice settings. They will put together a cart with comforting items for use by the grieving family in their time of loss and mourning. One of the items Dee would like to be able to provide on each cart is a handknit shawl. Either the mother or other grieving family member would receive the shawl as a gift in remembrance of their lost child.
Just writing this makes me teary. I have not suffered infant loss, but the pain must be unbearable. If any of you are able, please knit a shawl for this worthwhile program. The details are in this flyer — which is aways available on the righthand side bar. Also available are a couple of very simple patterns. I also started a Ravelry group called Wrapped in Care which has been pretty dormant of late, but feel free to join, post your projects and suggestions, and ask questions. There is no urgency to this request as the need is ongoing.
We can’t make the pain go away, but we can let the person know that someone cares. And that feels pretty good.
Thank you for the reminder about the Wrapped in Care program in this wonderful post. You said it all so beautifully and inspired me to take a break from gift knitting for my family and knit for someone else for a change. Bless you.
Comment by Kathy — November 11, 2011 @ 7:59 pm
Reading this made me teary too! There are several different patterns for tiny blankets/pouches that can be donated to hospitals for burying babies who didn’t make it. I would think that might also be something your hospital might like to have on hand? Just search Ravelry for “burial”.
Comment by Marcia — November 11, 2011 @ 9:14 pm
You brought tears to my eyes as well. Of course I will knit a shawl or two.
Comment by Penny — November 11, 2011 @ 10:20 pm
You can help a person in so many ways unimaginable.Appreciate for writing such a beautiful story for us.
Comment by floristinpenang — November 12, 2011 @ 10:43 am
This is all so sad and brings to mind the baby my daughter lost 10 years ago. It’s a terrible, awful pain to walk away with empty arms. I will knit some shawls in rememberance of tiny Hailey.
Comment by rebecca — November 12, 2011 @ 11:05 am
I can’t begin to imagine the pain. It really is a privilege to be able to help someone when life takes its hard turns, as it does at some point to all of us.
Comment by twinsetellen — November 12, 2011 @ 9:36 pm
Thank you for reminding us of knitting for others. Because of your earlier post, I dropped off six hats for homeless at Ingebretsens. I will look at your shawl patterns. I am lousy at them but if simple enough, it could work. Nice yarn always helps.
Comment by delores — November 13, 2011 @ 7:07 pm
Hello, I have read the blog ‘whatididtosurvive.com’ stage 4 breast. Her approach to diet and vits/supplements seems quite balanced. For what it’s worth…
Comment by Ruth — November 13, 2011 @ 7:44 pm