July 02, 2023, 08:08 PM
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How do you part with someone who has taken care of you for almost all your life?
For one woman in Singapore, she decided to commemorate those memories in a quilt that can be embraced.
"Bring back a part of us home"
A professional quilt-maker who sells her crafts online, Derlyn decided to make her Yaya (a Tagalog term for a caretaker) a memory quilt made of her nieces and nephews' clothes when she heard the latter planned to retire and return to the Philippines.
She shared the process of making the quilt and eventually giving it to her Yaya in a TikTok video.
"Auntie has been taking care of my two sisters and I for the last 34 years," Derlyn said in the video. "She's basically a permanent fixture (in the family)."
Image via @quiltedbyderlyn/TikTok.
Each family member also wrote a dedicated message for Yaya, adding more significance to the quilt.
Image via @quiltedbyderlyn/TikTok.
"I felt that it would be really meaningful that she could bring back a part of us home with her to the Philippines," Derlyn said.
Not goodbye
Not wanting her Yaya to cry at the airport, Derlyn decided to give the quilt ahead of the departure, at home.
She opened the quilt and held it up with both of her hands. Derlyn noted that she was "just holding it (the quilt) up and crying behind it" as she did not want them to see her crying.
Image via @quiltedbyderlyn/TikTok.
Both Derlyn and her Yaya eventually sat down and reminisced about the past while looking at the pieces of clothing and fabric on the quilt.
Image via @quiltedbyderlyn/TikTok.
"We later went into the room and had a little bit of a cry," Derlyn shared.
Image via @quiltedbyderlyn/TikTok.
"Auntie, there are not enough words to say how grateful we are to have you in our lives and for everything you have done for us. This is not goodbye, but see you soon," Derlyn said in her video.
Reactions
Many commenters said that they were touched by Derlyn's thoughtful gift, with some sharing that they teared up while watching the video.
One commenter said that the video made her miss her own Yaya.
In a comment, Derlyn shared that her Yaya sleeps with the quilt every night after receiving it.
"Even if she doesn't get to see us every day anymore, she still has this," she added.
Top image via @quiltedbyderlyn/TikTok.
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