Today I was driving a Toyota Prius, a car that has some
pretty specific steps that need to be taken since it’s a hybrid vehicle. (Nerve-wracking
to say the least.) I had to drive that car in a tunnel. A 2.5 mile, single
lane, shared-with-the-railway tunnel. A tunnel where you take turns. One end
opens for a while, then they close that end and the other end opens. Back and
forth all day. Not my idea of fun, but to get from Whittier, Alaska to Anchorage
you have to go through this scary tunnel. And I had to get to Anchorage today.
When I started this blog some 497 days ago I couldn’t ever
imagine in my wildest dreams a day like this would happen. Back then I started
doing charity quilts and pillows and stockings to keep my mind off my issues
and focus on doing good for others.
Today it all came full circle. Last year on a fluke I had
e-mailed the Alaska chapter of Operation Kid Comfort offering help. Since then
they’ve been sending me pictures on fabric of kids and their parents who are
servicemen and women. I’ve been putting those pictures into quilts for those
kids. As it so happened I finished some more of those quilts on Day 487 as we
were getting ready to leave. But I didn’t mail those quilts like usual.
I held onto those quilts. Those quilts traveled across
Oregon and Washington, into Canada, and have accompanied me on this cruise.
Until today. For today those quilts and I drove through the
scary tunnel to get to the military base in Anchorage.
And I hand delivered those quilts. Dad is deployed in
Afghanistan and not returning until November, but three little kiddos pointed
out pictures of themselves with their dad in their own individual quilts. Mom was in
tears as she hugged me, thanking me for making the quilts for her kids.
There aren’t many times I’m at a loss for words, but I’m not
sure what else there is to say.
