I am honored and grateful to contribute a square to the Threads of Love Memorial Quilt in memory of our brother Joe who was able, through his death, to donate his corneas and give the gift of sight. We were thankful that the Gift of Life Donor Program contacted us after his death because we would never have thought he would be a candidate to be a donor.
Joe was the baby of the family and going through the day to day undertakings that go along with having a mentally retarded sibling taught us patience, understanding, compassion and unconditional love. His love of music brought him alive at the sounds of the first note, so music was always played in our home.
The caption below his photo is an excerpt from the song “Dancing in Sky” that asks questions of all the things he could not do in life, but hopefully can do now.
I chose the background for the memory square that portrays beautiful colorful butterflies. On the day after his death I was in my backyard watering plants and all of a sudden a group of butterflies surrounded me and continued to fly around and around and followed me wherever I walked. It warms my heart to think he was saying goodbye, and now whenever I see a butterfly I smile and think of him. I guess the butterflies are our pennies from heaven.