Tapestry of my life

My daughter made me a wonderful needlework tapestry of the 12 months. Each has a flower, the name of the month and gives an important person in the month where it seemed right. She worked on it in three countries. She started it in '86 and finished it in '94.

It hangs on the wall opposite my Geneva bed. 

I love seeing it when I first open my eyes in the morning: it makes me happy but then that my daughter is my daughter makes me happy.

But there is a slight bittersweet moment attached.

June is my mother: April my beloved step mother. They are both gone.

Andrea is October and there might be an exchange between us every couple of years. She was Llara's best friend through high school. They are still in contact. Albert in November long ago went to the great dog biscuit factory in the sky and a close friend is no longer close.

New names could be replace the old. August would be Julia, April Rick, Oct. Scott, June Marina and Anil, July Chitra for example. At the same time the tapestry is a memory of those that were important in my life on a daily basis. They represent good meals, great conversations, bad times when their love and support made the bad times less bad--the entire spectrum of life. Each stitch could be a memory.