My mother was not a women to sit still for long and we moved around a lot. On one of our stops, we meet a family with three children. One of the children was an autistic boy whom I quickly befriended. He happened to be the same age as me, and when I was not riding horses thru the  beautiful mountains of Jacobsburg, OH, we would sit for hours and play together. Once my mother decided it was time to move again, my new friend’s mother gave me a big hug and handed me a beautiful quilt as a going away present. I was truly touched by her generosity and kindness, even at such an early age. I loved that quilt and how it felt, not only to the touch, but also how comforting that quilt made me feel inside. I thought I would cherish that quilt forever, but as it happened, my mother threw it away during yet another move! I was utterly heart-broken and to this day, I believe I have been trying to regain that feeling I once had when I would wrap myself up in my friend’s wonderful gift to me.