I'm wearing my hug...

Somebody loves me, yes they do!

Ever since I lost weight, I'm cold all the time. Even in the summer when people are sweltering, I barely break a sweat. Well, this winter has been terrible for me. I waited and waited for the snows to come (I love to look out my bedroom window at the snow covered trees) and now that they have, I can't get warm.

I had a bridal shower to go to last week, in Manhattan, somewhere I rarely go unless I've got tickets to Broadway. After the shower I decided to stop at my sister's and surprise her, see if she were free, and have supper with her.

I did, she was, and supper at the Polish restaurant we chose was absolutely delicious. The only problem was, through the entire time in the restaurant, I was freezing. I kept my coat on over my shoulders and my hands in my pits and still I could not get warm.

On the way back to drop her at her apartment, she says to me: "Do you remember the gray sweater I knit daddy all those years ago?" I sure did. It was the most magnificent cardigan I had ever seen. It was worn by him, with pride, for years. It was well loved. When daddy passed, it went to mommy who continued to wear it with pride. It was still well loved. When mom died and I cleaned out her things, it was gone.

For years I searched everywhere to find a copy of that pattern. I was on a mission to find it so I could make it for myself. It is now many, many, years later and my searching has proved fruitless. I have never been able to find the pattern and, therefore, never able to duplicate the sweater. But I digress.

She went on to say, "Stay right here. I have another one and I'm going to give it to you." She ran upstairs to her apartment and was back moments later, bag in hand. In this bag was an almost identical version of the sweater she'd made my dad all those years ago, but this one is beige. Her best friend George gave her this wool years ago and she created this sweater from it. It's magnigicent. And it's mine.

I photographed it the night I brought it home. I planned to start wearing it immediately, but then the weather warmed up. It was almost spring-like yesterday. So it sat on my couch all day looking lost. This morning, it was supposed to be warm again, but there is a distinct chill in the air and I heard it's going to be 18 degrees tonight by the time I leave my friend's house. I pulled it off the couch and threw it on. I've been wearing it all day and, let me tell you, I feel like I'm wearing a hug. I know that we love each other very much, but I'm wearing her love on my back and it feels so good.

Back of Sweater