I've shared a bit of the progress on these for awhile. These started out with a very sad beginning but I'm so glad to share the wonderful ending. Let me tell the story, it's definately got God's fingerprints on it. It's long.....
In Feb. 2014 two familes were torn apart by domestic violence. The husband was released on bond from jail after abuse charges were brought. His wife and son who he had been abusing for a long time had taken refuge in her mother and father's home. Her husband broke into the home, shot everyone, killing all of them but the lady's father who recovered from his injuries.
Fast forward a few months, my husband was working an auction at the estate of this family. He bought me a large box and buried in the box were four unfinished cross stitch pictures. All in various stages of completion which I'll share the before and after photos of. My heart broke when I pulled these out. Not knowing if it was the daughter or mother who had worked on them but knowing a lot of love went into them. I know now that the mother was the stitcher in the family. No way I could let those be trashed and felt blessed that they had made it to my home.
While finishing them I tried to reach out to the family without sucess. I asked my fellow stitchers what their suggestions would be to do with them. I knew I would either keep them and give them a home or that I would finish them and donate them to go into shelter homes for abused women in the area.
I worked on these while taking my mother to various doctor appointments and hospital stays before her passing. I picked them up along when I had a few minutes. I finished the first up in Jan/Feb 2015 mostly in doctor offices. The next one I finished up in the summer 2016 a lot of it while waiting for the water tank to fill while I hauled water where our spring went dry for a time. The seat and flower scene I finished the first of this year and the last the Santa I finished a couple days ago. All the dedications were finished up on Mother's day.
Now this is the part that gives you chills. My daughter was induced on the 26 but didn't deliver until the 27th. Because of that day delay my son-in-law had to be back at work the day she was to come home. So I picked them up and was there while one of the nurses was going over everything. While there I had stitched on the Santa picture. We got to chatting while she looked at it and I told her the story. I told her of the efforts I had made to find the family and since I couldn't that I was planning to give it to the shelter. She said that her nephew as a close friend of the teenager who had been shot and killed. When she asked if it was alright if she passed my information on to the family I lept at the chance. I gave her my details and by the time we had gotten home she called and asked if it would be ok to give the family my phone number.... of course!
Then a few days later I got this hesitant call that started out with "I think you have my grandmother's stitching?" I was told how much her stitching had meant to her family. She wanted to take the pictures, have them framed, and give them to her mother especially. It was a bit heartbreaking to talk to this lady who had suddenly found out that a treasured memory had been saved. So I took down her information and told her I felt I could finish the last one before the end of the month..
Finishing them all up on Mother's day was very special. As a mother and now grandmother to be able to pass back another mother and grandmother's work back to a family still grieving is a blessing that I thank God to have been allowed to be a part of. Think about it over a span of 3 years, the chances that my husband would be there and get that box, that it would make it to the home of a stitcher who has loved the hobby for almost 38 years, and then that my grandbaby's birth would put a nurse in my path with a connection to the family. God's hand all the way. Thank you for letting me share this story and the final pictures. From a tragedy to a happy ending. Photos are of where I received them to the finish. The dedication I asked the granddaughter about, did she want it on there or not...... it says ... finished for a lost stitching sister....
