Memories

[BrianC]

HI All,

 

Today my wife was telling me about a story that I though might be good here.

 

My wife works as an oncology nurse in Western WA. She has had many patients die over the years. Recently the husband of one of her patients came in shortly after his wife died and gave them several large bags of yarn. The nurses started going through the bags and found several jars of knitting needles and crochet hooks along with a diary of her work. The needles and hooks were all arranged and were in jars that would display them. The diary included all of her work with pictures and who she made the item for and when.

 

Susan and her co workers are going to give the diary and needles/hooks back so that he can have them for the grand children. The yarn is being given to local people who make scarves and hats for people undergoing chemotherapy.

 

Brian

[Pink]

Amazing and heartwarming, especially knowing the hooks, needles and diary will stay in the family. Thanks for sharing.

[Tampa Doll]

That is great that they are giving the hooks, needles and diary back. Sometimes people do not understand what they give away. I am sure the grandchildren or great grandchildren will appreciate them.

 

Beautiful story and big 's to the nurses for their thoughtfulness.

[funkyreporter]

That is very touching, and I know in grief people aren't always able to go through a loved one's belongings and realize how personal an item is, and what a piece of history. My husband's mom (I feel funny to say MIL, because she had passed without me ever meeting her) kept a crochet/quilt/clothing diary as she was an accomplished seamstress and did amazing quilt work as well as crochet. Also, I do a lot of garage-sale-ing and I've picked up a locket or journal that someone is selling for 50 cents and I find precious writing in it, or a lovely picture, and when I point it out the person is usually thankful and will tell a sweet story about it and be happy to have that piece of their family's history preserved...

[CraftyShannon]

I'm glad they are giving them back too, and I hope this man and his grandchildren realize what they will be recieving. When one of my aunt's friends had their mother die, they asked if she would help them sort through this woman's house in order to decide what they wanted and what they would put in an estate sale.

 

What was sad was how little the family kept. The did keep the love notes her husband wrote, but they threw away stuff like her grandkids' baby shoes. 30 year old newspaper clippings, all sorts of things this woman had kept for years. My aunt considered taking it home so it wouldn't become trash, but didn't have that kind of storage. The family said they just didn't want the clutter.

 

What was interesting was this woman labeled everything she owned. My parents and I went to the estate sale and bought some antique furniture. On the bottom of everything was the date she bought it. Usually, there was also a paper in a drawer with the history of where she got it, if it was pre owned who she bought it from, and how long they had it before her. One table even had a newspaper clipping of the man she bought it from. What she didn't have a note with, her family told us the story behind the piece because she had told them.

 

Going through this stuff this woman obviously cared so much about seemed almost like an evasion of her privacy, although it's interesting and amazing someone would go to that much trouble to document her things. Of course, knowing these things were well loved makes us more appreciative of them as well.