Knitting Happiness

About 35 years ago, my mother started a family tradition. For the arrival of her first grandchild, my mom hand-knitted a lovely Christmas stocking. It was a big hit and a very special gift. Two years later, a second grandchild arrived and Mom took out her knitting needles again.

When one of my cousins had his first child, Mom got busy with the yarn. Then another cousin had a baby, and another and yet another. Mom’s knitting needles saw a lot of activity through the years. She crafted more than 45 Christmas stockings to give to the new members of our growing family tree.

But when she was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy—a serious neurological disease—one of the first things to be affected were her fine motor skills, like those needed to knit. She just wasn’t able to do it anymore.

But the stork continued to make regular deliveries. So, I decided to pick up the gauntlet, er, the needles. Mom had taught me how to knit when I was a kid. Although I didn’t knit as well as she did, I studied the patterns and have continued her tradition. So far, I’ve made a dozen or so stockings and hope to make many more.

Mom passed away in 2008. And still I continue to knit Christmas stockings. After all, some traditions are worth preserving through love and through care.