On Jan 10, 2024, I was THRILLED to find this lovely quilted heart hanging in Central Park, near the baseball fields above the reservoir & tennis courts. I was out running. I’d had a difficult previous day that left me feeling down and disconnected, but pushed myself out the door that morning to get my cardio in, to clear my mind and re-set my emotions. I was not quite 3 miles into the run, when I saw the quilted heart.
The previous day’s weather had paralleled the storm of emotions I was feeling. A terrible winter system had made its way up the East Coast and hit NYC pretty hard — lots of wind, heavy rain! The intrepid quilted heart dangled from its’ hanging loop, which was wedged between the fence post and wires; it was soaked & dirtied, but unmoved by the storm.
Lost items are everywhere in NYC. I would have run right past the heart had I not learned about the IFAQH project from my Aunt Margaret. Margaret has placed at least 110 handmade quilted hearts for people to find; mostly in the Fort Myers, FL area, but some have traveled up North to be placed by friends.
As it was, knowing about the IFAQH project, the appearance of the heart during a “recovery run” was a wonderful surprise. The time consuming and thoughtful gesture of someone I did not know was a touching reminder of the empathy and good will that, along with some less positive traits, coexist in humankind. The battered, but surviving heart was an inspiration for me. Viewing the heart as a representation of the determination and fortitude of those nobler human traits, it helped me to muster the additional optimism and strength I needed that day to move through my run, through the work of my day, and to be in touch with and more attentive and loving to some of the people who mean the most to me in my life.
That day, I reached out to my aunt and shared the story with my kids and mom. Now the heart hangs from between some books on a bookshelf in my living room as a constant reminder to be brave, strong, loving and engaged; to think about what others have done for me and what I can do for others.
Thanks to whoever placed my intrepid quilted heart and to those who have made my heart full enough to see and appreciate this gift.
Heather / NYC 2024
