My Abuela (Grandmother), Mary Ann Sines, is a confident woman who inspires me this International Women’s Day and every day. She is a teacher, traveler, avid reader, crochet queen, among thousands of roles she holds. I had the amazing opportunity to call my Abeula from Florida to drill her with a series of questions and ask for advice.
I have always known my Abuela to be a go-getter with lots of hobbies and passions. She has a wide array of hobbies like crocheting, cross-stitching, knitting, scrapbooking, and reading. She began crocheting at only five years old. After watching her mother and her friend knitting sweaters, she picked up knitting. She always had a yarn and hook by her side and was finally taught by her mother around age eleven. She began with a simple chain stitch and sold them as bracelets for a penny to her friends. The entrepreneurial drive she displayed at such a young age displays her strong desire to reach her goals. She began cross-stitching through a parent group at her daughters’ school. The group was making crafts to sell for a Christmas sale. Another parent taught her how to cross-stitch and she has been practicing ever since. Scrapbooking is a more recent hobby. It is an opportunity for her to work alongside others and put personalized work together for her family. Finally, she has always been a big reader. As a little girl, she would hide behind a chair with her book to avoid completing her chores!
All of these passions have greatly helped her grow into the woman she is today. She sees crafting as a way to make friends. As long as I have known her, my Abuela is always carrying around her newest project. When she is bored or has a free moment, she whips out her craft. It is a great conversation starter that opens her up to new friendships. She is currently a member of two books groups. She has joined many online communities of those with common interests. For example, online book groups allow for her to participate in author discussions, where she learns from others across the world. Especially in a covid-stricken-world, she finds value in connecting with others in a time when travel is limited.
Another one of Abeula’s passions is her career. She went back to college later on in her life, which taught her that anything is possible at any time in your life. She started college wanting to study psychology or sociology. After working as a paraprofessional, she decided to enter the education field. Her coworkers were very supportive, which inspired her to continue her education journey. She was a school teacher for many years. She was able to share her admiration for learning.
She also was able to inspire her three daughters. She led by example to teach them that they can truly do anything they set their minds to. She encouraged them to be involved and find opportunities. Specifically, through female-led organizations, like Girl Scouts. She supports the many mantras of Girl Scouts, especially, “Make the World a Better Place”. She always taught her daughters to learn about other cultures, support other people, and care about our environment.
She was able to learn a lot of these lessons she taught to her daughters through travel and worldly experiences. Through her travel, she has met a ton of unique individuals, where she can build friendships. These connections have enabled her to notice how alike people across the world are. She notes by not broadening our horizons, we risk losing our togetherness as a world. Recently, she has supported others across the world, especially in Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has devastated the country. She has been able to buy crochet and knitting patterns through Ukrainian designers online to support them.
My final question asked for her best advice for HerCampus readers. My Abuela tells everyone to, “…follow your dreams, no matter what anyone tells you. If we don’t believe in ourselves we can’t go anywhere.”