The object I chose is a fringed scarf that I hand made about five years ago. The scarf is about five feet long including the length of the fringe. In width the scarf spans 30 stitches across. The material is 100% acrylic yarn of two different colors. A majority of the scarf is beige with 4 rows of orange at the end to add an accent color. At one end the orange stripe is detaching because of a missed stitch. These orange and beige colors are also the colors used in the fringe at each end of the scarf. I crocheted the scarf myself over the course of about 3 weeks.

Despite its simplistic materials and physical appearance, the handcrafted nature of the object makes it something special. All of the work and time that went into crafting this gift gives it more meaning than if I had simply purchased a scarf. Five years ago I lost my grandfather to pancreatic cancer, but more importantly, my grandmother lost the love of her life. Since they were married the only time they were ever apart was during the hours that he had to work. Every morning she would stand on the front steps and wave goodbye to him as he drove away. The day he passed away was the last day she every waved him goodbye.

Obviously, the next birthday would be difficult for her because he would not be by her side. So I decided to make something that would give her a bit of comfort. That’s how the scarf came into existence. The small stripe of orange at the bottom was my grandfather’s favorite color, which incorporated a little piece of him into the scarf. I made her and my father matching scarves that they both opened during their shared birthday party. I still am not sure whether she was more excited about the memory of him in the scarf or the fact that her son that shares his name had a matching one.

At the beginning of this month the scarf came back into my possession. With all six of her children surrounding her, my grandmother was reunited with the love of her life on December 26, 2014. She was one of the more amazing women that I’ve been lucky to have in my life. Although the nurses in intensive care continuously said that she was the lucky woman to have six children and twelve grandchildren with her as she passed. Both sides were lucky to have each other, which is why the scarf became something more than a scarf when my father handed it to me earlier this month.

Not only does this simple article of clothing continues to connect me to both my grandfather and my grandmother, but it also connects me to my father who owns the only other one in existence. This scarf symbolizes my family itself in a way because without their lives there would be none of us, without their love we would not be here today. Finally, this scarf reminds me of what kind of person I want to be. Both of my grandparents put everyone else before themselves, cared for everyone in their community as if they were family and loved unconditionally. That’s the kind of life I want to live. That’s what this scarf reminds me to do every day I look at it and wear it. That’s what gives this object value.