And out of the manila envelope
came a new white hand towel
hand embroidered with colorful flowers,
each one a bright celebration
of what a small amount of thread
and a steady hand can do.
Another cloth, this one edged
in a red and white lace crochet,
seemed proof that framing changes everything.
A photo of two women laughing.
A pink ribbon holding it all together.
A pink sticky note, that read
in a neat, old-fashioned script:
To Rosemerry, from Secret Agents.
There are days I can hardly
believe my good fortune—
just when the headlines
are their worst, a stranger
will reach out with a wild
and tender kindness that frames
the moment with joy,
reminding me that I, too,
might stitch thoughtfulness
and beauty into everything I do,
then share it with the world.
