At loose ends one Saturday morning, I pick up my mother’s darning egg and sit down to mend my socks. The smooth, old wood shaped like a closed fist slips inside my hand-knitted sock. I use black thread to blend with the dark purple and green yarn. My stitches are invisible. Quickly, I close the hole, ending with a knot like she taught me. How is it that in a little house so fraught with cares, its walls echoing my father’s rage, a bit of peace still clings to my mother’s small tool? I wonder what else I can mend.
Linda C. Wisniewski is a former librarian living in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where she volunteers at the historic home of author Pearl S. Buck. www.lindawis.com Facebook: LindaWis46 Instagram: @lindacwisniewski X: @lindawis