Penni was a special lady who courageously fought a battle with cancer. I knew Penni from PTA and also as her children's school nurse.
As Penni was reaching the end of her battle, her son Zachary often came down to the nurses office complaining of a stomachache. It was evident that this little boy was filled with anxiety. I tried to sit and talk with him, but he did not want to talk, so I would let him rest until he felt he was okay to go back to class.
One afternoon was different. He looked me straight in the eye and said, "Mrs. Begent, I am really scared, I think my mom is going to die." No training in the world could have prepared me for that moment. I held him in my arms, and cried with him.
The next day at school, Zachary came to the nurse's office. I told him how I thought about him all night, and had come up with an idea to make him an afghan - with his favorite color and his moms!
He loved the idea. "So what are the favorite colors", I asked. "RED and ORANGE", was his reply. That evening I began to crochet my first "Penni Afghan".
The next day Zachary came to the nurses office to ask if I was done yet. He told me, "Mommy was taken to the hospital and I am going to visit her and want her to use it". I have never in my life crocheted a blanket so fast. I even crocheted at school, where Zachary would come and watch me, asking, "is it almost done?"
And finally it was. I have never seen such a smile. As he walked out of the office that day, he turned to me and said, "Mommy is going to love this."
Penni died a couple of weeks later in January. She did get to use her son's blanket. I then made one for his sister, to match the colors of her room.
That June when the classes had outdoor picnics, each child was instructed to bring a towel to sit on in the school yard. That morning, Zachary proudly walked into the school with his Red and Orange blanket, knowing his little piece of heaven was right there with him.