Knitting with Linda Lou

So, I was sitting in church today and somebody said something that got me thinking about something else. (If this seems vague, I'm sorry, but this is how my mind works.) Before I knew it, I was talking to Linda (in my head, of course, not outloud, although I fear that day is coming).

This happens to me sometimes. It is weird, I know. Made weirder still by the fact that my good friend Linda passed away about 10 months ago. But we were friends for a long time and we spent a lot of time together so I got used to talking to her. Sometimes I just listened, so I got used to listening to her. I got used to reporting to her about things that were going on in the world outside of her window. Things like, who's who in the neighborhood, how messy my house was, goofy things my children and other people's children did or said, and who spoke in church and what they talked about, sometimes. I got used to her reactions to some of the things I told her as well as her reactions to things she gleaned from the news and other visitors.  I am getting used to the fact that she is gone. Linda was quadriplegic for 35 years. The last 17 or so years of her life were spent in her room, mostly. Actually, the last year was spent in and out of hospitals and nursing homes, but mostly, the rest of the time, she was at home. Linda was one of my favorite people. That's not to say that we didn't drive each other crazy sometimes. Hence, the conversation in my head today. I don't think I am explaining this well.

Recently I pulled out a knitting project that Linda started years ago. She had stopped knitting because it made her muscles too tense so she gave it to me to finish. I put it away in my pile of projects about 5 years ago. Then, last month, I was looking for something completely unrelated and found Linda's afghan so I decided to try to finish it. (She was a much better knitter than I but fortunately most of it is already done.)

I think I have been thinking more about her lately because I have been knitting her project. Also in primary the children have been singing "Follow the Prophet" and Linda had a great story that she used to tell about Jonah. I almost always think of Linda when I hear the Jonah story---THAT WAS IT! One of the speakers in church started out with a story about Jonah and that's when I started talking to Linda, in my head, of course.

This post makes me think of  the scripture in Mosiah 18:21 And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another... having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another."

If I am still talking to Linda, in my head, of course, I think it could be that our hearts were knit together in love one towards another. (Most of the time, because there was a little contention sometimes, which just makes the scripture even more appropos, don't you think?)