Precious Memories

Prior to mom suffering the second stroke which ultimately took her from us, my brother and I had to empty out her apartment. Going through room by room, each room filled not just with items but with memories, was one of the hardest things I’ve done. I spent so much time at mom’s place, that in truth most of my happiest memories with her were in her apartment. There were moments shared in each room, whether it was me sitting on her couch reading to her (she was legally blind due to macular degeneration), chatting with her through the curtain as she showered, watching Spanish telenovelas (soap operas) at night together, or on lazy Sunday afternoons the two of us napping on her bed with Jasmin snuggled in between us. Each memory is more precious than the last.

Mom had been in that apartment for close to ten years, but it was still surprising to see how many things one little woman could accumulate in such a small space. All the items of sentimental value came home with me, like a book she’d had forever which is falling apart, the cookbooks she had since she got married, photo albums, jewelry, etc. Amongst all those things, I found a bunch of unfinished projects, like this pretty little thing below.

Mom had stopped working on most of her crafts (sewing, embroidery, knitting) in the last couple of years due to the loss of her vision, so this one must have been sitting around for a while. Thankfully all the embroidery work was complete, so all I had to do was add the lace, which was no easy feat given my sewing skills. Here it is finished thanks to some much appreciated help from my friend Manshi.

It’s just a doily, but it’s special because it’s a tangible reminder of mom as she truly was – bold, funny, smart, and creative.