In a world where trends come and go, some stories are timeless and never lose their shine. We share with you just a few details from the life of Aunt Ana, who lived through many wars, losses and immense challenges, but through it all remained strong - like a precious stone that survives through the centuries. This is not just her story, but in a way a tribute to all the women whose courage has been passed down through generations and who are a reflection of what it means to endure, adapt and rise above. We were honored to participate in weaving this story through time.
Our story begins like this:
"Hello, today I wore the earrings I got from you. My aunt, who is ninety-two years old, saw them. I took them off to examine them. She was delighted and the main question after a detailed analysis is why this wasn't there when she was young. Thank you."
We wanted to surprise our aunt with earrings, but we learned that she is unfortunately immobile and is not wearing anything. " It is enough that the Kragrlice made her smile. She always shared, with her fist and hat, so you give someone earrings in her name," our niece Ivana tells us. This task was not difficult for us because you know that we love to give gifts, but we were somehow interested in the story of Aunt Ana, her hands in the photos, the childlike curiosity she shows when examining the earrings and that youthful spirit that emerges from just a few sentences we heard. We wanted to find out more about her, and we managed to do that with the help of her niece, who carefully conducted a mini interview with her and shared many photos and details about her aunt's life.
" My aunt is my grandmother, I grew up with her and her stories. If someone asked me who I knew everything about, the answer would probably be her name. She selflessly shared stories about their lives, their loves, their adventures and adventures, and I never had a problem listening to the same story more than once. Instead, those stories would be a journey into a world of imagination where we would jump together by the stream and look after the sheep."
"She taught me to be persistent because even now that she's undergoing heavy therapy, she wants to finish what she started, which is crocheting a tablecloth. Sometimes I think she can read my mind because she told me many times not to be sad, even though I pretended to be great in front of everyone. Now I feel sorry that she can't fully express her thoughts because, like every grandmother, she saved the best stories for us and had much more patience to explain to us what life is. "
"Her life was not easy at all and it inspires admiration in me. She lost her mother as a little girl. That little girl guarded the herd and chased away the wolves barefoot. She grew up with her grandfather Markula, who she always spoke of most fondly, and they called her after him, Ana Markulova. He dressed them and got them ready for school, and my favorite story about him is when he brought them an orange for the first time. Not a kilo of oranges, but one orange that they shared."
"They shared pencils, lent each other shirts when there was a celebration, got ready together. They were a cohesive team in which everyone knew their role. She lived in the era of folk costumes where everything was done by hand, and she has continued to cherish this to this day by tearing up old sweaters and knitting socks and fruit baskets for us."
"Each of us has something in the house that our aunt made. As a child, I didn't appreciate it, but only now do I see how much effort goes into each of her works. I think crocheting, knitting, and the desire to work are her recipe for longevity. Her desire is so strong that she used to ask me a few times to bring her a bowl and ingredients to her bed so she could knead a cake, and the threads and needles are still hanging on her bed, waiting for her."
"I've always been interested in how she played a large role in the development of our community. She advocated for water, electricity, and a telephone to be brought to the village. She had a calm and obedient husband who turned all her ideas into reality. They were the first in the village to introduce central heating and install blinds. It will probably sound funny, but if my aunt were my age now, she would be either a trendsetter or a life coach, or maybe both. She couldn't have children, so my dad grew up with them. He came once and didn't want to go home anymore."
"Of course, she was often judged by those who did not have the potential to understand her idea. For me, she will always be a woman with a vision and one who not only dreamed dreams, but also made them come true."
We asked the aunt a few questions. Read on and travel with us to times gone by when almost nothing was like today.
What kind of jewelry was worn in your time?
When I was a girl, we only wore jewelry for special occasions, on Sundays or when going to weddings. Earrings were simple hoop earrings with or without ducats, depending on what we had. We decorated our necks and heads with ducats. The ducat was the main decoration, and it served as a bequest (promise, vow) that a girl gave to a boy to promise him that she would marry him. The belt of the costume was held by buckles, and I liked to decorate my shirt with a bešlija, it's like a pin with a button.
How did women dress when you were young?
My life wasn't luxurious, but we were happy with what we had. Women didn't have a choice, but they always found a way to be as beautiful as possible. I can say that our braided hair was the most beautiful thing to me. When I was a girl, dressing up meant washing ourselves, braiding our hair, and putting on jewelry, and later we bought Nivea and grapeseed oil. There were girls from better homes who were protected from the sun by their parents.
What do you like to see on women today?
I love when something is embroidered, white as snow, and I also love when someone wears beads. I lived in a time when people walked barefoot in the fields, and I still live in these new times. From that time before, I would only wear a čerma because it was made of good material. For us, a čerma was Adidas.
Do you have any unfulfilled wishes?
I don't have any. Everything I wanted has come true. I believe it's all part of the plan He has for me. I thank you and will thank you as long as I live.
We heard that you love crocheting. Do you know approximately how many works have passed through your hands?
I don't know how many I made because I share them all. I also crocheted angels and knitted fruits, vegetables and socks, I edged towels with lace. I made dolls in folk costumes and I embroidered tapestries.
Do you like our earrings with Pag lace?
They are beautiful to me, but the hanging ones, like cherries, are more beautiful to me. (think of the Crochet model)
I could crochet those for you, but I don't need a pattern. I could have made a scarf without any pattern. I also like your forest ones, the leaves are like real ones. ( La Hoja model)
What would you like to say to us at the end of this interview? Do you have any life advice for us?
Protect your face and always hope for the best.
Tell them I send them all my best wishes.
