The Greatest Friendship

#54/100
2006

The Greatest Friendship is a special quilt made for Michael, a very special person in my life. In 1966 I was part of the first wave of the integration of public schools in Crossett, AR. I was in the 7th grade and had previously attended segregated schools. During that turbulent time when some questioned whether blacks and whites should be “mixing”, I made a lifelong friend. Over 30 years later, we re-connected when he called me up out of the blue to ask if it would be okay if he nominated me for consideration for the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation Board of Directors. Our time on that Board together turned out to be really special. When he rotated off the Board this month, I presented him with The Greatest Friendship.

The Greatest Friendship has great meaning for the two of us. There are lots of personal clues to our lives in this quilt including Norman Junior High School, our friendly race to be valedictorian of the class of 1972, and, of course, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

I know Michael will treasure The Greatest Friendship as a small token of my thanks for the indelible impression he made on my life.