Emily Joof

The Unbreakable Thread Emily Joof

A bittersweet celebration of the everlasting bond between a mother and child through the changing phases of their lives.

The thread illustrates the unbreakable connection that remains despite growing pains and distance over the years. The thread begins to unwind when the child begins to walk, talk, and run. It stretches a little more on the first day of school. It swirls and unfurls the further the child gets from Mom's reach, like a sleepover at a friend's house. Sometimes quarrels cause the thread to get tangled. One thing is constant--that it always remains. The thread symbolizes the love that keeps them close.

Emily Joof channeled her Gambian upbringing to pen this story, which was inspired by a local tradition of leaving a thread with the child when a parent travels.