My Nana’s sewing machine is important for my family. In the last few years, she’s developed dementia. One of Nana's biggest passions was sewing and making clothes for people she loved. She recently moved to a memory care unit, so we sold her house along with the things in it, including her sewing machine. I remember walking into her sewing room and seeing all of the threads and scraps. It had an inviting look to it. We would call it “Nana's machine”. It is very old and difficult to use, but that made it feel homey. I don’t know when she truly got it or where. Nana introduced me to sewing when I was really young. No one else in my family sews, besides my sister. I’d like to get into it more because it holds a special place in my heart. If objects could talk, I would ask the sewing machine what she was like. I know my grandmother, but I didn’t get enough time with her before her dementia sank in. My family talks about what an amazing woman she was. She is someone I look up to dearly. The reason why I chose to write about her sewing machine is that not only did it impact her life greatly, but it also impacted the people around her. My dad talks about how she would sew things for him growing up. Having her sewing machine is something that is special to my dad because it's a reminder of the strong, hard-working woman she was. Not only that, but it's something special for me because it reminds me that if she could do it, so can I.

– Brynn Cuellar

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant