But in 2023, Yeye woke me up from that feeling of frustration—and yes, unworthiness. She asked me to make a special purse or small bag for her. She said she wanted to use it for a special event.
Even though I had already been experimenting with crocheted bags. I always told them that I really wasn’t very confident. My eyes kept zooming in on the tiny flaws that others probably never would have noticed.
Yeye did not give up!
So, I started gathering my crochet paraphernalia again and began thinking of what bag I would make for her.
That same day, I posted a photo of the unfinished bag in our family group chat, her very first reaction made me laugh.
Yeye: “Parang ang liit?”
I quickly stuffed it with two cellphones to prove its true size. Then I asked, “Ano ba ilalaman mo?”
She answered, “Wallet, lipstick, compact, cellphone.”
I looked at the bag again, still feeling skeptical. “Look…I added a lipstick and a compact. Baka kasya pa wallet mo? Huwag lang masyado malaki?”
Deep inside, my insecurity was still talking. So I jokingly added, “Sana magamit mo. Hahahaha.”
Without a single second of hesitation, she firmly replied:
Yeye: “Yes po. Magagamit ko 'yan for sure.”
A few days later, I smiled when I saw her new Facebook post update:
“Just me being maarte while flexing my mom’s creation – crocheted bag! Lakas makasosyal!!!!! 💗 + pic with Kuya hihi”
She didn’t just use the bag . She proudly told everyone who had made it for her.
I don’t think she realized what that simple gesture truly meant to me.
Sometimes, confidence doesn’t begin because we finally learn to believe in ourselves. Sometimes… it begins because someone else chooses to believe in our hands first.
______________________________________________⏳ Author’s Note (2026)
Looking back now, I realize that little pink bag became much more than just another one of my simple crochet projects. It served as a beautiful reminder that the people who love us most often see our gifts long before we do.
Sometimes, all it really takes is one precious person saying, “Yes po. Magagamit ko 'yan for sure,” to give us the courage to keep on creating.
—Momlen
