David's Blanket

My family and I just came back from a 2 week vacation at a rented cottage. This is the first year that I actually was not ready to come back home. In the years past, I could barely get through the first week without going stir crazy. And we did not even do anything outside of the cottage living this year. I read three books - Twilight; New Moon; and Eclipse all part of a series about girl who falls in love with a vampire. Not anything I would have picked up for myself, except that my daughter started reading the first one and couldn't put it down. Not in itself unusual except that this book is over 500 pages and she usually reads shorter stories for younger teens. So I had to see for myself... and I enjoyed most of it. I had to make myself get past the fact that the vampire was a little too controlling for my taste. Not something I would want teen girls to think is okay. The girl didn't think too much for herself in my opinion. But once I got over those things, the books were pretty good.

Before I even started the books, I crocheted David's Blanket. At first I just started making the afghan out of yarn that was given to me and added some bright colors that I just liked. It's a patchwork sort of afghan. I like to give my projects away since I have an overabundance of blankets that I have made. And often during my work, God tells me for whom I should make the blanket. I know that may sound hokey to some people but basically this is what happens. A name comes to me while I am crocheting and I consider it. I suppose this is what some would consider praying. But since I am not as comfortable verbalizing my thoughts and beliefs, I am considering it. I think it is God. Sometimes the blanket is for a close friend or family member. This time the name that came to me over and over again was David. The name was not just a whisper in the back of my mind. It was a resounding DAVID, DAVID, DAVID. I could not even argue with it if I wanted to try.

David is a friend from the boiler room community who has been struggling to overcome his addiction to alcohol. He was living on the streets when the boiler room folks took him in. He is a very nice guy that I enjoyed talking with on many occasions about his favorite movies and different things like that. He is quieter than most of the men who find their way to the boiler room. One day Joel and I spent some time with him when we found out that a very special friend of his had passed away. He was very sad and quiet about it. Finally after a while of just sitting in silence, he started to talk about his friend. I think he felt a little better after that. I also found it very interesting that he and I shared the love of many of the same movies, including Titanic and others that are more on the classics and drama side (I am stopping at saying chick flick because they are a couple notches higher than the average chick flick) rather than action flicks. David suffers from chronic pain from an injury and this is probably what was a major contributor to his alcoholism. He has applied for disability as he is unable to work due to the pain. Unfortunately after I finished the blanket, I read on the boiler room blog that David had succumbed to his addiction again and was once more living on the streets. This saddened me to think of his progress and then the regression. But I have not given up hope that he will find the strength once again to drop the bottle. In the meantime, I will hold onto David's blanket, which I made stitch by stitch with him in mind. When the time comes - and I am confident it will - I will give his blanket to him and hopefully he will know that he is loved.

I started another afghan shortly after David's blanket was completed. I have been listening, anxious to find out whose blanket it is. So far the voice has been silent - or so quiet that I have not yet heard it. This one is a solid color - a northern purple, which is one of my favorite colors. I am certain someone very special will be receiving it soon!