The Gift Of “Safe in the Woods”

The words came to me as I was making the quilt.  Safe in the Woods.  I knew it was the title.  I knew what it was about for me and where it came from.

Before I was even done making it, I posted a picture of  the quilt on my blog.  The next morning I got an email from Becca saying she wanted to buy the quilt for her husband Mike.

She said she loved the colors. And Mike, who was cutting a path through the woods on their property that his father had given him,  always uses the phrase “safe in the woods” to describe how he feels when he’s in the forest.

It sounded like a perfect match. I’ve known Becca for a long time, both she and her husband love animals and nature and I was happy for them to have it.

The next day Becca emailed me again.

She had shown a picture of the quilt to  Mike and when he saw it and the title, he told her how before his father died he told Mike that he would always be safe in the woods.   It was the first time Becca had heard that story.

I got chills when I read Becca’s email.

Making this quilt was healing for me.  I’ve written about it on my blog and you can read it here. 

Now I imagine it’s doing its work,  somehow, for Mike too.  Maybe as a comfort and reminder of his father.  And the gift of the idea of  being safe in the woods,  that his father gave him.