Day 9: Family
I have worn these bracelets every day for the better part of the last 20 years. They were a gift from my mom, who also wore them for decades after her father gave them to her. These bracelets ground me, bring me peace, and remind me I am loved.

Every one of my family members has and wears a similar bracelet. When I got married, my parents bought my husband one as well. He now wears his bracelet every day.

My family is an immigrant family that wasn’t connected to its history or traditions before it moved to the US. Even having lived here for over 30 years, my parents haven’t adopted much in the way of American culture. Growing up, we didn’t celebrate the regular holidays, we didn’t have extended family to continue family legends and we had few traditions. These bracelets are what I consider to be our family tradition. They represent our unit, our love for each other, and connectedness even when we are apart.

#csquarantart was a 30 day challenge a friend of mine started on Instagram at the beginning of the first lockdown of 2020 due to COVID-19. These are some of my contributions