When Celia Robbins’ 14-year-old daughter asked if she had any regrets in life, she expected a deep, philosophical answer. Instead, Robbins immediately thought of a knitted puffin sweater she regretted not buying during a trip to Iceland years ago. This whimsical regret turned into an unexpected and heartwarming story that took place online, instantly going viral.
On June 2, Robbins, a mother of four and freelance writer, shared her regret on X (formerly Twitter) with a photo of the puffin sweater. “My daughter asked, ‘Do you ever have any regrets, Mom?’ And while I know she was asking this question on a philosophical level, my mind immediately went to this puffin sweater I saw in Iceland,” Robbins tweeted.
It’s been three years since I saw it in a shop there, and I still regret not buying it.”
To her surprise, Dave Wiskus, CEO of Nebula, responded, “My regret is that I bought this exact sweater for my wife two years ago. She has worn it zero times. I’m in NYC. Cover shipping and it’s yours.” Initially skeptical, Robbins asked if he was serious, to which he hilariously replied, “I would never joke about a puffin sweater.”
A happy Celia Robbins in her puffin sweater. Photo courtesy of Robbins
Ten days later, Robbins shared on X that the coveted puffin sweater had arrived at her Berlin home, courtesy of Wiskus. “People are amazing!” she tweeted. “Just 10 days ago, I shared a thought about one of my regrets in life. Of course, not buying a sweater sounds like a minor regret, but SO MANY could relate! And then @dwiskus made my wish a reality. This sweater made it from NYC to Berlin in record time!”
My daughter asked, “Do you ever have any regrets, Mom?” And while I know she was asking this question on a philosophical level, my mind immediately went to this puffin sweater I saw in Iceland.
It’s been 3 years since I saw it in a shop there, & I still regret not buying it. pic.twitter.com/pnkVePdmaB
— Celia (@CeliaBedelia) June 2, 2024
Robbins admitted that her story was “absolutely crazy.” When her daughter posed the philosophical question, Robbins laughed and thought to herself, “Nothing I want to talk to you about.” Yet, she couldn’t stop thinking about the sweater she first saw in 2021 at a small shop in Iceland during a trip with her husband. A year later, she returned to the store with her then 13-year-old daughter, only to find it gone. Disappointed, she didn’t buy the sweater initially due to its $250 price tag.
When Robbins moved from Ithaca, New York, to Berlin a year ago with her family, she shared her regret on X, not expecting much response. However, her post quickly went viral. Wiskus stumbled upon Robbins’ tweet by “pure chance” while scrolling through X during a work trip in Amsterdam. Realizing he had the same sweater, he offered it to Robbins, who was overjoyed.
The Iceland puffin sweater. Photo courtesy of Celia Robbins
Wiskus had bought the puffin sweater two years ago during a work trip to Iceland for his wife, who never wore it. When he told her about sending it to Robbins, she was supportive, joking that he would have to take her to Iceland to get another one.
When Robbins received the sweater, it was a perfect fit, and she almost cried upon seeing it. The tag was from the exact store where she first saw it. “I don’t know how else to explain it, but it’s like a tiny little moment where the universe cared about me,” she said. The sweater now hangs in her closet like a sacred item.
Wiskus and Robbins have plans to meet in Berlin later this summer. They both marvel at the serendipity of the story and the kindness of strangers, all sparked by a knitted puffin sweater. As Wiskus noted, “Everyone wants to believe that if they were to make a wish like this, the wish could come true. And seeing that happen, it makes the world a little bit more magical.”
