The gift of knitting

Knitting has been a boon to me ever since I sat down and got serious about learning (for the third time) a few years back (Thank you LynnH!)
Yesterday's knitting-related events were no exception.
My Uncle Chuck's viewing is today, his funeral tomorrow. Rather than spend my energy allotment (my "Spoons") on going to the funeral, I decided to visit my dad, instead. We went yesterday.
My main reason for going to the funeral would have been for my cousins, Lisa and Brent. Instead I am knitting them each something, and will send it along with letters talking about my memories of their dad, Chuck.
Yesterday, I brought along the shawl for Lisa. As I sat there chatting with Dad, the nurses and aides who came in almost always commented on my knitting. One was the partner of one of Dad's friends, and a knitter herself. Since I was past the point of needing my paper copy of the pattern (my 'Cloud on her Shoulders' shawl) I gave the printout to her. She looked at it and exclaimed "You designed this?!" Dad looked very proud.
Later, one of the other nurses came in. She did what she needed to do for Dad, then stood near me, her hands unable to keep from petting the shawl I was still stitching on. (I used a combination of the Knitpicks yummy Suri Dream, carried along with a dk-weight hand dyed I picked up in the Gaylord yarn shop when we visited Dad and Mom there this past spring).
As she stroked, she said "You're knitting! I own three sheep!"
Turns out she owns three Shetland sheep, and spins their wool. She is interested in doing natural dyeing, after she's spun the roving. She feeds her cute Shetlands with a seaweed supplement so their diet is pretty much what they'd get in their native islands.
When she mentioned the natural dyeing, I said "I have a patch of madder root growing in my back yard." and she lit up. I will be mailing her a few starts for her garden, along with a book I have she may find useful. :-}
Meantime, Dad watched this exchange, smiling. It was a wonderfully serendipitous way to share part of my life with him, that would not normally be part of a hospital visit :-}
I am more grateful than I can express that we went yesterday. Time spent with Dad is precious.