A Robin, A Crochet Hook and a Little Bit of Magic

 

I headed into the Mullingar Pewter shop and restaurant today to meet Helena for lunch. On the way in, I got completely sidetracked by their Christmas display — twinkling lights, baubles galore, and, well, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

What really caught my eye was a crochet robin kit. 

Now, I haven’t crocheted anything since I made Lil’ Kovid — my loyal little lockdown companion who still has pride of place in my sitting room. 

But as I looked at that kit, I immediately thought of the old superstition that says seeing a robin means a visit from a loved one who’s passed on. Naturally, Mam and Dad popped into my mind.

And then, right on cue, two women from Raharney came out of the restaurant and greeted me. One of them smiled and said, “Oh, I see your mother is inside waiting for you!”

For a split second, I froze — thinking, Well, if she is, she’s got a lot of explaining to do!

The poor woman turned scarlet when she realised her mistake. She’d mixed me up with Helena — an easy enough mix-up, I suppose, because of the blonde hair… though the fact that Helena had her ten-week-old baby with her might have been a bit of a giveaway!

I quickly reassured her that she hadn’t upset me in the least. In fact, I told her about the robin kit and how I felt her comment was actually a sign — a little nudge from Mam letting me know she was near.

After lunch, as I passed back through the shop, there was no question about it. That robin kit was coming home with me. And when it’s finished, it’ll have pride of place on my Christmas tree — a small, woolly reminder that our loved ones never really leave us.