An act of love: A teenager’s way

Sixteen-old girl, Helen Aleman discovered crocheting while aimlessly scrolling on TikTok. Now, it is a way she communicates her love and copes with growing pains.

Her first handmade gift to her sister, a white tote bag, ignited the flame to continue creating.“I started making it behind my sister’s back, obviously, it wasn’t perfect, but it was fun.” To her surprise, the process of crocheting was equally as rewarding as the finished product. The craft brought a sense of calm and accomplishment that she felt was missing. “Sometimes I even prolong like sleeping. I’m like, wait, I want to keep going.” Suddenly, Helen went to sleep and had something to look forward to the next day.

Learning a new skill came with their unique challenges as well. Whenever she would struggle to get it right, frustration would lead her to give up.

“Am I not smart enough to understand? ” Helen explains that negative thoughts would stop her from getting past the hardships of trying something new. When she is just about to lose her motivation she reminds herself of the excitement crocheting gave her when she started.

“I just pick it up, because if I never pick it up, then I’m just never going to finish it.”