As the sickness began to take over my body, the only object of comfort I had was this piece of old, faded fabric.This piece of fabric is a medium sized handkerchief that contained various monuments depicting the Sicilian landscape and culture. When I was recently sick, my Nonna gave me this to wrap around my neck. She said that the handkerchief had multiple purposes such as a bandana for when you're working the Sicilian fields, a fashion statement for when you're going out, or in my case, as a comforting item to help heal you in times of sickness. In Sicily, specifically in my Nonna’s town of Bompietro, they celebrate “Festa Dell’Emigrante”. At this festival, they celebrate the Sicilian culture by cooking and dancing like the way they did back then. Though the denizens celebrated their way of living from back then and rejoiced, it was not always like that. It is through the handkerchief that the story of humble beginnings of my people is told; being workers of the land and then transforming that into wealth. As I laid in bed that day, I was able to transform my situation into a moment of thankfulness. Even though Nonna could not have stayed with me in the moment, the action of my Nonna giving me this object made me feel immense love and importance because I knew that she went to work in order to make a better tomorrow. This handkerchief signifies the possibilities that I will have as a result of past ancestors overcoming past trials which is why I hold it so dear to my heart.

– Alessandra GangiDino

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