Family leaves tribute yarn at crochet-loving mom’s memorial bench—returns to a touching surprise

In today’s fast-paced world, people rarely have the time or bandwidth to go out of their way to do something noble for others. However, many still recognize that kindness costs nothing and should be shared as much as possible. In one such heartwarming post, journalist Robin Epley (@ByRobinEpley on X) shared a photo of her mother's memorial bench adorned with flowers and a scarf. While it may not seem like much, the story behind it has moved many to tears. The post was also reshared on Reddit by u/CrownClownCreations.

"I'm sobbing. My mom was a big crocheter, so on her bench at East Lawn, my dad and I left one of her balls of yarn as a tribute. He just went back today after a few weeks to tend to the site and someone had used the yarn to knit mom a scarf," the caption of the photo read. People in the comment section were moved and expressed their respect for the person who did it. "Ah, humans. Sometimes, they outdo themselves! Your mom must've been loved a great deal," wrote @carolynsbriggs. "She looks so young. I'm so sorry you lost her so soon, Robin, but clearly she'll never be forgotten," added @fiveforjoy. "That picture of your mum in the sea has entirely melted my heart. What a beautiful soul," added @KatieNoony.

Another person, @caelanga, shared a heartfelt anecdote: "My mother used to crochet. She made all of my kids a blanket. My youngest loved hers all up until it was a matted ball of yarn. She couldn't go to sleep without a strand wrapped around her foot." Another comment by @Edievox09 read, "Thank you for sharing. Your pictures really paint a strong story of your mom and how she means to you." In a follow-up post in the same thread, Epley shared a picture of her mother with the caption, "My mom taught me how to crochet around the age of six and I've never stopped crafting since! Here she is in 2015, fixing the twin-sized baby blanket she made for me as a child, which was affectionately referred to in our house as the 'My-Mommy-Loves-Me Blanket.'"

She later mentioned that while she had no idea who had left the scarf, someone suggested it might have been the staff at East Lawn, Sacramento. "I don’t know who did it, though someone has suggested it was the wonderful staff or volunteers at @EastLawnSac, a group of which my mom was a part. I just hope this is a reminder to everyone that the simplest act of kindness from you can completely brighten a stranger's day," she wrote in another tweet.

People on Reddit also left heartfelt comments on the platform. "Aww, I like to think of that person only knitting while sitting on the bench and not taking the yarn home. What a sweet and thoughtful gesture!" read a comment by u/chewybea. "She's nice and warm in y'all's love and a fancy new scarf now!!" added u/Chungamongus. u/excitingtu chimed in "What an incredibly thoughtful and loving thing to do!"