Another Christmas story...

Kathy O'Sullivan shares this lovely story of a Christmas many years ago...



Back when AOL had a quilting chat room . . . I was home during the week with my kids, working weekends, and I had much more time to quilt and correspond on the internet. I loved participating in block swaps on-line. Total strangers from all over the country and sometimes the world would participate in the swaps. It was a great way to meet fellow quilters. In fact, I met my very best friend in the world through a block swap. Sometimes the blocks were disappointments, but always there were outstanding blocks that more than made up for those.

One year I participated in a Christmas block swap. Most of the ladies were from a guild in Phoenix but a few of us were "on line." I finished my blocks and mailed them well before the due date. But it came time for the swap, and my blocks had not arrived at their destination. I called my post office. I called the Phoenix post office. The blocks were nowhere to be found. I spoke with the hostess. She could not delay the swap any longer. I was disappointed, but I understood that the others were anxious for the swap.

The swap went on without my blocks. The hostess told the story of the lost blocks at the guild meeting. The quilters, wonderful people that they are, offered blocks. They said "I have an extra of the ones that I made" or "I will donate one that I've received" or "I will go home and make another one for her."

A few weeks later, 16 blocks arrived in my mailbox. On the same day, the lost package of blocks showed up in Phoenix. At the next guild meeting, all of the generous people who donated a block received one from me.

The quilt that I made from that swap hangs in the entryway of our home every Christmas, where it reminds me of the good things that people do, even for strangers on the internet.

Kathy O'Sullivan

Columbus, Ohio

Thank you, Kathy.