TIME FOR A CHANGE
An important letter with even more important information.
Dear Alice's Embrace Contributors, Monetary Donors, and Fans,
The above sign has been hanging on a wall in my home for many years - it likely was placed there after my mom's passing. I struggled with this loss so much, and I looked for signs... literally, apparently!
I was only 43 years old when Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2005. That November day in the neurologist’s exam room is a memory for me like it was yesterday, and in hindsight, I realized that she had likely been experiencing symptoms for at least a couple of years prior to the diagnosis. I didn’t know what to expect for her future, but I knew that we all were in for a very big change in our lives. After Dad passed away in June 2006, Mom needed to move into an assisted living community, so I happily helped decorate the cute little apartment. I wanted to add a personal gift just for Mom, so I got down to business and knit a beautiful sage green blanket that ended up becoming such a special comfort to her for the next five and a half years of her life. Little did I know that that blanket would start ALL of this!!
I was 49 when Mom left her earthly journey. After her passing, I needed to do something to help others dealing with the same challenges Mom had experienced in her daily life. Realizing how soothing that blanket was for her (almost like a security blanket is for a child), I wanted to bring that same feeling to other folks in need. I built the website and started this heartwarming mission to bring comfort, warmth, and joy to people. People who, at one point, lived unique and rewarding lives, but then their world was turned upside down - I wanted to bring smiles and soothing comfort to help brighten that upside down world.
How so many amazing, talented, and giving people became part of this Alice’s Embrace family is nothing I can explain, but I don’t need to try to figure it out. I created it and you all joined in… passionately and completely determined to bring these lap blanket and prayer shawl gifts to as many folks as possible. Passing the 10,000th recipient mark last summer was really something to celebrate.
Because I have several family members who are in need of ongoing help these days I took the last six months off from my day-to-day work with Alice’s Embrace… asking our contributors to hold off sending items since I just didn’t have the time to get them processed and ready to head out to their new owners. Now that those six months are over, I’ve been struggling with how I will be able to continue with my typical 50+ hour workweeks with Alice’s Embrace… it just isn’t conceivable.
The plan at this moment is that 2024 will be the year that Alice’s Embrace, as we know it, is going to completely change. I created this from my heart back in 2012, and knowing then that I couldn’t do what I envisioned all on my own, I reached out to anyone who’d listen to help bring these handmade gifts of joy to deserving people, and that is exactly what we did – together! I desperately missed Mom, and creating Alice's Embrace helped me figure out how to navigate in a world without her in it.
Now, I’m reaching out to you all again. There was a shampoo commercial back in the 1980's where the actress tells us television viewers to spread the news about the wonderful shampoo. She says, "You tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on and so on and so on."
Keeping that commercial in mind, look at the above "Alice's Embrace Family Tree" that I just created. I randomly grabbed names of contributors from our database and slotted them into the connections closest to us... branching out more and more as we continue to grow. Now, I have a brilliant idea (I do come up with those every now and then) as to how, if you're in, we can continue this in the same way, but completely different. Patience... I will get there, I promise.
At the end of June 2024, I will be stepping away from Alice’s Embrace. We will no longer be able to accept lap blankets and prayer shawls… I have made the difficult decision to “close up shop”. Over the past decade, you've watched what I do from afar. You have read the newsletters and enjoyed photos of all the goodies that have come in, and oh, those beautiful faces of recipients... those pictures are definitely everyone's favorites. I created Alice’s Embrace, and now I'm asking you to continue it. I’m determined to make this work… just in another way. Moving forward, I am asking for all of you to continue this amazing endeavor. In a sense, you will be the Diane of the operation. You will be the one who does it on your own, or you possibly recruit a fellow crafter (or two) to join in on making the items and then you find local communities in your neighborhoods. You’ll coordinate with the staff and bring joy to the faces of people in your own backyards. You could reach out to memory care communities (and hospice groups if you’d like) and use our patterns to continue warming and comforting people in your neck of the woods. If you feel this is something you would like to pursue, I will be coming up with a “Helpful Tips” type of manual that you can download and hopefully it will answer all of your questions. If this idea intrigues you, please reach out to me at diane.lewis@alicesembrace.org and I will be happy to add you to the Alice's Embrace Partners list - yes, I've already created a name for you wonderful people.
I know this is sad news for so many of you. It certainly isn't easy for me either... many sleepless nights have been involved with this decision. But, I honestly feel that this is a way that we can bring our special handmade beauties to more people - more people than I could ever reach on my own; even though we do have hundreds of talented and giving knitters and crocheters. Let's get thousands of knitters and crocheters from around the globe to help bring much needed comfort to those dealing with the challenges of Alzheimer's disease or other dementia related illnesses... one lap blanket or prayer shawl at a time. I have lots of ideas running around in my head, so once I hear from you, then my (and your) creative juices will start to flow. I am here to help as best as I can, and together we will accomplish this, I just know it.
Another wonderful organization to keep in mind is Carol's Garden... they will happily accept your Alice's Embrace creations. Please remember they only accept prayer shawls. Here is a link to their Facebook page... it is a private group, but it's easy to join. https://www.facebook.com/groups/375900710637621
You will also find more information here: https://jsterndesigns.com/carols-garden/
Sisters, Jen and Joanna are lovely women and their passion for helping bring joy to others is right up there with all of ours.
Please know that there were many, many factors involved with this decision. The first and foremost is my family. Some of you just found out about us, and some of you have been with us from the get-go. Either way, I'm thankful beyond words for you. I know that you will continue this in your own way, and I'm here to help you get started.
With arms held out and a big embrace, thank you, thank you, thank you for surrounding my life with magical moments and gorgeous blankets and shawls! I may be older, I may be younger, but I feel like a mother who is more proud of her children than she can express. Each of you has brought joy to the life a stranger. Whether it was with one Alice's Embrace gift or 300, you're all completely amazing!
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
With sincere love and gratitude,
Diane
P.S. Thank you for helping open this door with me. My hope is that it brought (and continues to bring) you just as much happiness!
. . . . .
As thoughts began to run through my head about the possibility of having to close up shop, I started adding words of wisdom and ideas to the Notes app on my iPhone. They include things I had read in books; words from family and friends; little snippets from movies I'd seen, etc.. I'll share some here:
FROM THE BOOK I'M READING ABOUT TREASURING FAMILY:
Irene waved a hand, "Don't be silly. You're taking care of your family. That's the most important thing. If I've learned anything in my eighty years on the planet, it's to cherish my family while I have them. Nothing else matters."
FROM ANOTHER BOOK:
"Just because something ends doesn't mean it has to leave your heart. You've proved that you can take a memory and turn it into something new and beautiful."
FROM GAIL, A CONTRIBUTOR:
The CEO from our community hospital says, "Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and together, we will take care of the community."
FROM SALLY, A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE FOR OVER 50 YEARS:
"Just remember, all good things must come to an end, and new good things can start."
FROM BETSY - MY WONDERFUL YOUNGER SISTER WHO YOU ALL KNOW:
"Remember that they will take it a step further and will reach more people because they're all spreading the word in their own way."
FROM NANCY, A CONTRIBUTOR:
"I helped start a prayer shawl ministry and wished we'd had your patterns and guidelines. All donations were made with love, but the finished products sometimes needed a little TLC! That's why I appreciate asking people to make only your patterns!"
FROM A HALLMARK MOVIE:
"Walking away isn't always a sign of weakness, sometimes it's an even bigger show of strength."
FROM DANIELLE - MY GOOD FRIEND AND YARN SHOP OWNER WHO TRULY ENCOURAGED ME TO START ALICE'S EMBRACE MANY YEARS AGO:
"At the end of the day the gift of your mother's memory lives on and on and on and this is going to go even beyond you which makes me so happy for all the work that you've done to keep this going. I know it's a lot of work and you are so organized and go above and beyond, so that's what's so incredible about it. Very few people would have the organizational skills that you have to do this."
FROM ANOTHER HALLMARK MOVIE:
Main character says, "I don't know, it just feels like my perspective is changing on a few things right now." Wise older man says, "Sometimes when you change the way you look at things, the way you look at things changes."
FROM A BOOK CALLED ALL IS BRIGHT:
I wrote: Something I will tell our contributors - they were led to Alice's Embrace for their own reasons and now for those same reasons, they can continue it in their own way, or maybe it's time to pursue something new and different.
My book says: "I do believe sometimes we are led to the places and the people who will impact our lives in ways we can't even imagine."
ME IN MY NOTES:
Alice's Embrace helped me through such a difficult time. I desperately missed Mom, and it helped me figure out how to navigate in a world without her in it.
ME, TWO DAYS AFTER VIOLET WAS BORN:
Excitement and exhaustion and even though it was such an amazing feeling to become a grandmother, and I was already smitten with that wee child, but I so missed sharing the experience with Mom - I knew that she would have fallen in love instantly.
FROM TRUDY, ONE OF OUR PARTNERING YARN SHOP OWNERS:
When I was talking to Trudy about the idea of when it would be the right time to step away from Alice's Embrace - telling her that it's hard to walk away from giving these handmade gifts to all the deserving people. Trudy said, "What you have done is wonderful, but remember, your mom would want you to be a an involved grandmother to Violet."
FROM MY LONG DISTANCE FRIEND, LUCY:
"No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born."
NCIS... RULE 91:
What is Rule 91? "When you decide to walk away, don't look back."
JUST A QUOTE I SAW :
It will help me through difficult days before and after stepping away from AE:
"When you feel overwhelmed, remember - A little at a time is how it gets done. One thing, one task, one moment at a time."
. . . . .
I have read and reread the above notes frequently. I can't explain why I felt I needed to have so many reinforcements about walking away from this amazing endeavor, but I guess that's what happens when you're on the fence for quite a while. I will continue to add to it when I feel the need.
March 27, 1932 was the date the world was blessed with Mom's presence. She lived a good and fulfilling life, and I truly believe that she has been with me every step of the way throughout this journey. I would like to think she has held my hand and helped guide me with all the facets of Alice's Embrace - just like she had always done throughout my life.
I'm excited to say that there are more than 85 names (from all across the country) on the Alice's Embrace Partners list. If you happen to be one of them, please give me some time to get my booklet/PDF complete and ready for all of you. I'm keeping notes on a regular basis - just jotting down ideas of what helpful tips will be useful for you to continue our work in your neck of the woods.
After making the announcement, so many heartfelt and supportive notes have been arriving. I truly thank each of you for taking the time to express your kind and caring thoughts. Your words mean the world to me... more than you will ever know.