🧶 Mom Len's Loops: Stories Behind The Stitches
I woke up early on the morning of November 15, 2016—around 3:52 a.m.
I’m not normally awake that early unless I have somewhere important to go. But I couldn’t sleep anymore; I was just tossing and turning. To quiet my mind, I rearranged the living room, pulling furniture here and there in the silence of the early morning.
After a while, I went back to my bedroom. I rummaged through drawers and cabinets, looking through my old things, and found a large ball of blue crochet yarn tucked away at the end of the small table beside my bed.
Holding that blue yarn, memories came rushing back.
I vividly remembered the days when I accompanied my husband, Rey, on his construction site visits. While he attended to his work, I would always bring my crochet paraphernalia along with me. To make the most of my waiting time, I would yarn over, pull up a loop, and create simple, crochet pieces.
A Cabinet Full of Memories
As I continued looking through my things that morning, I found my very first crochet project: a handmade crochet hook holder.
I had been collecting hooks since I first learned the craft, and this was the very first thing I made to keep them organized. I smiled when I saw it. Back then, I felt so incredibly proud of myself—almost like I was already a professional crocheter!
Then I saw my simple crochet purses. I realized I had never actually used them. Why? I honestly don’t know. Maybe I just wasn’t confident enough yet with my own creations.
A little later, I came across tiny baby dresses, shoes, and beanies.
“Oo nga pala!” I had made these for my granddaughter. They weren’t used either because, by the time I finally finished them, she had already outgrown them. They had become far too small for my growing little granddaughter! 😄
And then there was the body bag with its matching wallet.
I remembered working on them while waiting for Rey during his site inspections. It took several different site visits before I finally completed them.
Woven One Stitch at a Time
My eyes went back to that large blue ball of yarn. I picked it up, took my crochet hook, and began making a simple pair of potholders from what was left of the skein.
I was hoping the repetitive, rhythmic motion of the stitches would finally make me sleepy.
It didn’t.
Instead, one heavy thought stayed with me the entire time: “It’s almost here again.” 🥹
The following month, on December 29, it would mark exactly two years since Rey had passed away.
⏳ Author's Note (2026)
When I originally wrote this journal entry and posted the photos on Facebook back in 2016, I thought I was simply taking pictures of the physical things I had crocheted.
Looking at them now from 2026, I realize they weren't just crafts; they were snapshots of the life I was living.
Each project reminds me of a completely different season—waiting for Rey during his busy site inspections, learning how to live with his sudden absence, making something sweet for my granddaughter, finishing projects I never got to use, and finding comfort in a familiar ball of blue yarn on a sleepless November morning.
Maybe that's why I named this new section Mom Len's Loops: Stories Behind the Stitches. When I look at these pieces today, I no longer see yarn. I see ordinary days gently woven together by God's quiet faithfulness—one stitch at a time.
❤️❤️❤️