A small area of cracked plaster peeks out from beneath the tapestry’s intricate embroidery, the same set of stitches that took Mrs. Zucor hours to complete; the same in-and-out rhythm of a need that brought Mr. Zucor to tears in the first pew of this very church.
One cannot help but look past the smudged paint, the scratched pews and the dent in the wall and instead, simply gaze at and admire this beautiful tapestry.
The stained glass windows reflects bursts of vibrantly colored light onto the floor, in rich shades of purple and cobalt and cherry red.
The dim lighting of the church flickers gently across the crooked rows of scratched up pews.
The creak of the wooden walls echoes across the empty pews as the old building settles.
In my mind, I hear Mr. Zucor’s sobs, the kind words of Mrs. Zucor, the sound one can only describe as pure happiness, as I recall the memory of their reunion.
How did both Zucors end up in Detroit?
Did they think they’d never see each other again?
How did the tapestry end up in the antique store all the way from Germany?
What will happen to the Zucors?
The cracked plaster, the bus ride, Mrs. Zucor’s tapestry that caught my eye, Mr. Zucor coming to fix the wall- the joy, the sadness, the reunion of two Holocaust survivors, years later…
Everything truly does happen for a reason.
Love, kindness, joy.
Love, kindness, joy.
Love, kindness, joy.

Based on The Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Palacco