First off, you ALL are so kind, wonderful, warm people...I feel right at home here. In fact, I'm starting to spend more time here on this site, than at my sewing machine(s) - and considering I am trying to run my own small business from home with a toddler under foot, I still find it hard to break away from the computer!
Anyways, some of you have suggested sharing some things about myself. So here goes: I am 39 (next year will be 40 - eeeeeekkk!) with a 14 year old son and a 17 month old daughter. I got married to a wonderful, handsome man in June 2007. I did also have a step-son, but he passed away in Sept 2004....exactly 2 weeks before his 8th Bday. It was a horrible, horrible accident that both I and my other son witnessed.
The kids and I were riding our bikes on the first day of school (in the afternoon). My stepson had gone just a tad too far ahead of us and so we all stopped and waited for him to turn back. He was straddling his bike (both feet on the ground) when he was turning the front wheel back towards us. He turned his wheel toward the traffic and his front tire accidently left the curb. At that exact moment, a dump truck carrying a tandem load was going by (and not very fast, either.....must've been less than the posted speed limit, as he just finished making a turn). Kristopher's tire was caught by the first wheel of the tandem part and he and his bike were thrown in separate directions. His bike away from the truck and him underneath the last set of wheels. The truck ran over his mid section.
Alot of that day is blank for me now, but I do have little flashbacks of events. I remember screaming at the top of my lungs as I ran to him. I remember going into shock thinking he will be alright. I remember a nurse with a blue shirt who came running over to help me. And I remember the ambulance ride I took to get to him (my son and I had to go in a second ambulance, as we couldn't go in his) was sooooooooo painfully long - they did not even have the sirens going, just toodled along in the traffic with everyone else, stopping at all the lights along the way! I even remember calling his dad, and even his mom, to tell them what what happened and to rush to the hospital with us. But the worst part? That was later that same night, when the doctor's told us they just can't do anymore to save his life. Do you know what that feels like?! HORRIBLE!!!!!! Sorry, I am crying now as I type this. To have to go into the operating room to say 'goodbye' to a little, sweet, innocent child has got to be the hardest thing anyone ever has to do. I hope none of you ever has to go through that.
So, to skip forward a little bit, I made my fiance a Memory Quilt of Kristopher. Sewing and creating it helped me with the greif I was going through. When we moved away from the big city to the interior (Castlegar, BC, Canada), my fiance and his family convinced me to start my own business making memory quilts. The rest, as they say, is history. If you want to know even more about me, please have a look at my website www.kcquilting.com and read the About Me page....I even have some photo's of us posted on there.
So there you go Cuties, now you know more about me :-)
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Thank u so much for sharing this & it will also help u to heal . Having bn an RN fo many yrs I've had to deal with a lot of deaths. A child is the worst of all. God bless u & I htink it's wonderful what u r doing. *4U
145791My heart goes out to you. I know the pain felt in losing a child. My 20 year old son was killed in a drive by shooting in 1995. 14 years later I think of him every day. Time dulls the pain but never takes it away. I have made a few quilt tops in classes but have not had them quilted and don't really think I would do such a great job at machine quilting. I envy those who can. I am so glad your tragedy has led you to do something for others who are suffering a loss. My mom always says there is a reason for everything that happens. Many times over the years I have looked at situatiions and said this is my 'reason' for Adam's death. Your reason may be to preserve memories for others. Good luck in your memory quilting and God Bless you.
Mona
896I am so sorry to hear your Story but there is nothing I can say that may help except to say I am so sorry and pray that Life will get a little easier for you and all of your Family in the future. God Bless.
1883Dear quiltingqueen, I'm really sorry for your loss. It has to be so difficult to you and your family. Thank you so much to open your heart to us and make us part of your life. I can imagine the wonderful work you are making with the quilts. I will go to visit your page right now. Thank you again and Welcome to Cute. Flower and XoXo
44254Thank you for sharing this difficult story. Many of us do realize what you are going through. Time helps, and the fact that you are able to put your grief into something possitive will help. It is never easy to lose a loved one, but a child seems to hurt just a little differently.
44904quiltingqueen, thank you for being so strong to share your story with us - I am so sorry for your loss - I have had a pain somewhat like your - with other family members - it is never easy to get over - we each learn in our own way - what we are to do and how we will grow - with such a loss - keep the good times at the front on your mind at all times - thank you for sharing and please share more of your projects with as all - I plan on a trip to your web site soon - too. *4U
211079Wow! Praying that God will give you and your continuous Peace.
4349Dear Rita,
Thankyou so much for opening up your heart and telling us your story. I too was moved to tears and cannot fathom the pain and grief that you must have endured. This site is wonderful and all you have to do is ask and you will receive. All the other Cuties who have written and sent their love are very caring and sharing women/men.
I have only been on this site for a couple of months and found friendship, help, guidance, assistance when things haven't gone right with my attempts at embroidery etc. etc. etc. I cannot thank God enough for guiding me here. It has really been a blessing.
I too am a patchworker and have been so for over 20 years or more. I have just done my first Memory quilt and wanted to share this with you. I have just posted it under Projects. I would love you to have a look at it. I have been on your website and was overwhelmed by all the ones you have done.
I just wanted to thank you again for opening up as you did, I know that everyone here who has read your story will feel the same as I did. God bless you and your family. Memories are what life is made of.
Love and blessings to you Chris
234478First of all Welcome. This is one of the nicest groups you could join. Very sorry to hear about your loss. I don't know what to say....chocked up about this. Nothing will bring him back....but you all have the great memories to share and things to rememberabout him. Some day you all will be together again in heaven. Till then you have a great family to cherish. God bless you.
27608First of all, I would like like to say "Welcome" to one of the nicest groups of caring and giving guys and gals I have ever met! I knew when I found this site I was in the right place for me! I just wept at your tragic love story and the loss of such a young member of the family. You have to remember that God takes the "Special" ones to be by his side. I know that does not make the loss any easier for any of you but time will heal the pain some and leave you with alot of the wonderful memories. You are doing something very worthwhile that came from your tragedy and I am sure that it will be appreciated by many people for years to come.
Thank you for sharing a part of your life with all of us. I do hope that it helps you to talk about it. We can tell that he was very loved by you.
I hope you will enjoy your stay here. If you ever need any help, just ask. We have some very smart people here and they do not mind sharing when they can help. We laugh, act crazy, learn alot, collect alot of designs, free and Not. I do not include myself in this but there are some real design and computer geniuses around here! Some of the kindest people I have ever met has been right here. There is one major draw-back to getting involved!!! You spend more time here than on the embroidery machines but it is soooo much fun! Welcome, Linda in Ga
24961My dear Cute family...as I sit here crying at the computer...it seems you all know what to say ... I am at a loss, I can't imagine losing a little one. I hope 'quiltingqueen' that you find comfort in your husband and children and comfort with us...your Cute family. May God Bless you and keep you all safe.
HUGS, HUGS!
57491Bless your heart to the inth degree! I am so sorry that you had to live through that experience. I'm happy that you found an outlet for your grief and are able to help others with their grief through your quilting. I can't wait to go look at your website. I hope you find nothing but love and acceptance here and we try to hold each other up.;)
158714I went to your website; very handsome family. I am so sorry for your loss, and very happy for the joy you have found.
2429Dear Quiltingqueen, I'm so sorry for your loss, and I wish was there something I could do to ease your pain. I've made Cute my home&family, it has given me joys&strengh in so many ways, that I believe it was not a coincidence I'm here now. I hope you feel the same eventually. Love&blessings, Yoriko
88650Oh, my word, what an experience!! We never imagine things like that happening, I'm so sorry you had to go thru that! I think the memory quilt, and your website making them for people is a fine idea, and wish you much healing and success from it. I hope you can find it in your heart to spare an occasional prayer for that truck driver, who thru no fault of his own was the instrument of such devestation. I suspect it will never leave him, either. I pray healing and wholeness for all of you, and do try to enjoy that little one, even if underfoot a lot. They just do make you smile sometimes for no reason. Thank you for sharing, and I hope you find a good 'family' here, we welcome you. Love, Marji
33451I'm really sad for you and this tragedy. I make you a huge hugs and give you all my friendship of mum *
2001272312Dear Quilting Queen
Nice meeting you I am also new on the site, here from Sunny South Africa.
I tend to spend a lot of time on this wonderful site, too.
Sorry to hear about your loss, and it must have been horrible, it one of my fears to loose one of my children.
Ok here is a bit about me.
I am a 40 something, yyes I have made the 40 sometime ago, married to a DH and he supports my sewing hobby fully, and will even find me bargains in fabric stores to add to my stach. I am then a mom of four, 2 sons and 2 daughters, aged 26(son), 24 (daughter), 21 (son) and 20 (daughter). We acquired another daugher on the 11 April 2009, she married our eldest son. The leave for Canada tomorrow as he is starting new job there, and what a wonderful oppertunity for them to start all new in a new country, they will be based in Toronto for a start.
well that is some about me and I will love to keep in contact.
Kind regards
Mel
PS will visit your site as I am also a quilter, and a member of the East London guild.
130You are right, no one can think of loosing a child because normally the child will live longer than we do. Reading your lifestory made me cry and I think that you did a great thing with the memoryquilt. I hope that you can pick up you live again bit by bit and whenever you want, just "talk" to us.
58029So sorry about your loss. I cannot imagine losing a child, grandchild much less witnessing a terrible accident.
This reminds me of a Tombstone in an old cemetery of a child " We loved him, but GOD Loved him More".
You have a guardian angel watching over you.
Thanks for sharing, I know it's painful even now writing about it.
3294Thank you for sharing with us.....as I read, my heart was in my throat and I thought of our dear niece, Maggie, also 8 years old that passed away 2 1/2 years ago....her passing was illness related. She, like your stepson, was a dear sweet child. It took a lot of strength for you to share all of this with us. Welcome to this site. Bless your heart!
96254thank you for sharing, I hope you get lots of friends here on the site.and as you could notice here's always somebody to support the ones who need it. support in words or in symbolic hugs,a shoulder to cry on or somebody that makes us laugh. Thanks for becoming one of this wonderful cute-family!hope you will post the memory quilt you are making.and I do hope it will help you all to accept this tragedy.hugs, gerry
743201OMG! That is horrible to have to go through that. I am so sorry this happened. Hugs. It was very brave of you come here and tell your story. My heart goes out to you and your family. I will definitely take a look at your website and I wish the best for everyone.
2331Thanx so Much for sharing your LIFE with US... It has given me so much strength to be here at CUTE...and you have given me that lil shove that I needed to start the memory quilt that I have promised my kids to make of my husbands Harley shirts...each of the kids want one...and since he wore a 5X shirt...I won't be using very many shirts...You are right no one should ever have to say goodbye to a child before we think it is time...but as both YOU and I know God needed that lil angel by HIS side more than we do on earth. Bless you for sharing:)HUGs from ME to YOU!
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