Pieces

The tribe of knitters I have been so fortunate to fall into had one of our now long distance members, Transplantmom(TM), visiting. TM is photographed below between her mother and daughter looking radiant in pink. She is in town and her birthday is tomorrow. It is funny a thing about TM a year ago I didn't know her, not even a little. I didn't know that I would make a space in my heart for her that would feel a little empty these days.
TM and her daughter came to St. Louis last year about this time. Transplantdaughter(TD) needed a pair of lungs and as I have blogged about in the past, TD got a new pair in January. But in the months before and after I got to Know TM fairly well. It was about the time my life was unraveling she (along with a others from the tribe) stood around trying to help me knit it all back together again. She bought me lunch or made me dinner in her tiny kitchen at her hotel suite. And always, no matter how bad her day had been, she had a smile and hug just for me. After awhile I got to a point where I needed those hugs more than she did to function.


And then in May after all the surgeries and time spent in waiting rooms, knitting and knitting, she was gone back to Chicagoland from whence she came. I saw her from across the room tonight, looking beautiful and serene with our tribe of friends around her and I needed that hug to function again. It is as if she has never left and the little hole in my heart from her absence is filled. Amazing me that a year ago I never knew how much I would need that piece which is so uniquely her to be whole. Happy Birthday Transplantmom, love you.

Photograph of TM and her dad doing a jig on Mother's day.