One Saturday last November an adorable woman and her son stopped by the shop. As she stepped in the door she exclaimed "Oh my!" as she drank in the colors and textures we create with our spinning and dyeing. I knew in my heart "she feels it." Allison and I became instant friends. She had knitted and crocheted since her childhood and was looking for Christmas gift ideas for her children and grandchildren. I offered up a crocheted chain scarf and we set to work choosing enough yarns of varying colors and textures to create 7 precious love gifts. Over the next several weeks Allison's son dropped her off for one hour on Friday and together we put the finishing touches on her scarves. I found myself excitedly waiting for her visits each week. You see it wasn't the crocheting that tickled me, it was the chance to drink in her humor and love for life. Her eyes sparkled as she joined in the conversation, offering up antidotes and funny stories. She was encouraging and kind, telling us how much fun her young friends were, as if we were doing something special. Allison didn't realize we were the ones drawing energy from her. As with all of us, I am sure her life has been filled with lots of joy and her share of heartache, but it has not broken her. As I watched and listened I thought..... I want to be like Allison at 80 ......gracious, kind, full of life, real, honest with a twinkle in my eyes. Allison, may you never loose that twinkle in your beautiful baby blues.
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