A Prayer and a Shawl

Cancer is a reality that drops brave men to their knees.

This holiday an extended member of our family is struggling with cancer.  And with that comes the chemo that is all too familiar to those who have dealt with this disease before.  It is the kind of fight that each cancer victim must make alone ... but not without the support and prayers of others.

This month I was moved to make a Prayer Shawl for this person.  There is little I can do to make the fight back to health easier, but I could knit a shawl to wrap around shoulders when tired or chilled.  A visible reminder that there are those who care.

It was my first prayer shawl - and, actually, it was my first shawl ever. I enjoyed the process, the knitting and the thoughts of giving it as a gift.  The action of knitting it helped slow down time and remind me that this is what is important, this is how I can help, this is how I can put a smile on her face.

And I didn't want to box it up.  I shopped for a basket that complimented the colors of the shawl.  And it was no easy task to find such a basket during the season when everything, and I mean everything is red or green.  :-)

A gift from the heart ... during a time when we sometimes forget that gifts should come from the heart!