The little guy and I stopped by my mom’s house today to take my grandma out for a birthday lunch. It was cooler out than I’d expected, so my mom went up to my old bedroom to find an extra layer of warmth for our wonder boy. She returned with a surprise: this bright red, handmade sweater, knitted for me when I was just a tot by my grandma’s older sister, Auntie Aggie.
I remember Auntie Aggie as a vivacious woman with a big cackle-of-a-laugh and kind eyes. She was always so delighted to see me, which made me feel so good inside as a kid. She was one of my grandma’s 11 siblings, which – as you might imagine – resulted in a huge extended family. But the great aunts and uncles had a way of making each kid feel like the only great niece or nephew who existed.
Auntie Aggie’s sweater fit my Prince Charming perfectly today. When my grandma saw it, she could tell right away it was an “Aggie sweater,” even after all these years. It was surreal for my mom, who said it feels like yesterday that I was wearing it. And it was touching for me to be able to already pass down a family heirloom to one of my kids. I bet Auntie Aggie was with us in that moment, probably tickled pink to see another little one in this great big family who’s wrapped up in her sweet sweater made of yarn, buttons and so much love.
