My grandma gave me a red cardigan that she had knitted herself for my eighteenth birthday, which at the time seemed like a straightforward present.
I recall hastily unwrapping it, saying a halting “thank you,” and hurrying out the door to join my pals in celebrating. I didn’t quite appreciate the love and work she put into each stitch when I was a youngster.
She passed away a few weeks later, and the cardigan was still folded in my closet. In addition to the fact that it made me think of her, I secretly felt bad for not enjoying her present when I had the opportunity, which is why I couldn’t bring myself to wear it.
Life carried me forward—college, marriage, and eventually motherhood. The cardigan stayed untouched, tucked away like a secret memory I wasn’t ready to deal with. Then, while cleaning one afternoon with my fifteen-year-old daughter, she stumbled across it.
As I saw her slide her arms into the sleeves, I nodded.
She froze at that moment. “Mom, something is in the pocket.” As I reached inside and took out a small folded piece of paper that was yellowed with age yet had been meticulously kept, my heart skipped a beat.
I opened the message with shaking hands and saw my grandmother’s exquisite calligraphy right away. It said: “May this keep you warm when I can no longer,” to my dear girl. Never forget how much you are cherished. My vision was obscured by tears at that moment.
As I took in the message, my daughter stood next to me in silence, her hand clasped around mine.
With her love woven into each stitch of that cardigan and encapsulated in her parting words, it seemed as if my grandma had been waiting for me to be comforted for years.
My perspective on the cardigan and my grandmother’s legacy changed as a result of that revelation. I told my daughter about her strength and how, despite having little, she provided so much.
My daughter now wears the cardigan with pride, taking with her not only an item of apparel but also a fragment of our family’s past. It is much more than just cloth and yarn to us; it is a generation-spanning symbol of love. It serves as a reminder that our loved ones’ love endures even after they pass away. It just waits patiently to be found again, finding new methods to get to us.