"When we begin life, we are all given a puzzle..."

"...each one very different, yet special. As we continue through our lives, we meet people and have some type of affect upon their life, as they do on ours. We share with them a piece of our puzzle and they share a piece of theirs, with us, in return. No matter what type of impact they had upon our life, we still carry along with us, a piece of their puzzle. Meaning that everyone we encounter has a special impact upon our lives, because they have shaped us into what we are today. This is called the puzzle of life. Each puzzle growing and changing throughout our lives, but always becoming better and always having the same foundational pieces." ~Erin Bridget Doyle

I know this quote is MUCH longer than the ones I usually dredge up. But it really seemed apropos for the post I wanted to make. None of the other puzzle quotes really worked (I certainly have no reason to discuss the NYT crossword puzzle since I'm more of a Sumdoku gal--and no, that is not a misspelling). I've been a bit silent online these past couple weeks because I'm working my fingers to the BONE trying to finish a gift for a friend's baby shower coming up this weekend. Which I'm also helping to host. And doing a million other things at the same time, of course. Of course! A horse is a horse...

OK, back on topic. I do love making and creating things, as you know. And this dear friend from high school usually receives homemade gifts from me, so how could I disappoint? I can't tell you exactly what it is (lest I spoil the surprise for her) and it's not finished, so it's not like I'm really keeping anything from you. This little lovely to the right is a sneak peek at what I'm making. There is probably no way I will actually have it finished for this weekend, unless I take the next few days off work and don't sleep (not that I wouldn't want to spend my days and nights crafting!).

I've had constant thoughts of how each little piece of this will add up into one "bigger picture" like a puzzle. A puzzle that I am hand-sewing piece by piece, much to the detriment of my joints. And this quote reminds me that not only are each of these fabric squares a smaller piece of the puzzle, but I am also a small piece of the life of my dear friend. And soon, her baby will be introduced to all of these pieces. I'm glad to be a part of your puzzle, Nicole!