My family immigrated to America in 2000 from Russia. Both of my parents were born and raised in Siberia. For their wedding, they received this comb. It's handcrafted and built to last for generations. It's engraved with the words "From Siberia with Love," and it captures the beautiful irony of their homeland where gruesome and bare winters produced a people of unbreakable bonds and immense strength. It's a symbol of the rugged, cold, and resilient nature of the Siberian people. In Siberian tradition, wood isn't seen as dead material, instead it is believed to carry the energy of the forest. In the Soviet Union, nothing could ever go to waste. In Siberia, woodcarving isn't just a hobby, it's a cultural language. My father told me how my grandfather built a country home for my parents, solely relying on the wood from the Siberian forest and my father to help. My grandfather taught my father how important it was to know the forest and how to survive off its resources.

This comb is one of the few items my parents were able to bring with them, and they still use it every day. Every time they pick it up, they are reminded of the same forests they used to run around to gather mushrooms for soup and the harsh winters where all you could see is bare trees in the distance. This comb has witnessed most of my parents' lives, yet it shows no scratches or wear. It stands as a testament to the strength and fortitude they held when they left everything they knew behind to carve out a new future here.

– DA

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant