‘Crochet Kindness helped me respect my friend’s memory’

After losing his friend to suicide, Olivia Diteraich said that he also lost his “sense of purpose”.

She met her friend nine years ago through group therapy sessions and became close friends.

Olivia said that his friend had a long history of mental health issues and took his life at the age of 26 in April 2018.

While dealing with the grief of this loss, Olivia found comfort in the art of crochet – a copying mechanism she learned as a teenager.

The 29 -year -old started making crochet flowers and left them to public places to find people, which inspires random acts of kindness.

A Facebook group started by Olivia, called the Random Acts of Crocket Kindness, now more than 364,000 followers.

Followers and fellow crocutors make their own pieces for others, often allow the group leading to the group with a label and allow them to share a picture of their search and how it can positively affect their day.

He released a book of crocheted pattern on Tuesday to try in memory of his late friend on Tuesday – which the BBC has left benami.

Speaking about the disadvantage of his friend, Olivia from Lesesterresires’s Lofboro, said: “It was the worst sorrow – the most painful thing that I ever passed and it has sent me in a little mist.”

He decided, as a personal challenge, to crochet a flower every day for 100 days and leave them out to find strangers.

Olivia said, “I felt really difficult to take care of myself, to think how I was feeling, but I still wanted to have a positive impact on other people’s days.”

“I realized how strong the effect was that I was doing through random acts of crochet kindness [page] And this was the thing that continued me. ,

Olivia said that when she was 16 years old, she ‘fell in love “after struggling with self -conscience, and with craft.

“It was something that used to continue me,” he said.

Now, his Facebook group is “source of happiness, happiness and source of connection” for others.

Olivia said that she expects her online community to increase and work with mental health donations.

“I think this helped me respect him [friend’s] Smriti – She was an incredible person, “she said.

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