thanks, mom

I called my mother on the phone today to ask her to describe how to do an invisible ladder stitch to close up a pillow I was sewing. A few minutes later I called her again because my seam had gaps. Ultimately, she came to my house and showed me the stitch. She is an excellent dollmaker, and I was filled with love for her as I watched her knuckles, swollen from arthritis, expertly and swiftly make the tiniest of stitches with ease.
Thank you Mom for countless lessons, for so many phone calls when I needed to visit, for teaching me how to live. I love you.