
Don't you just love sparkly things? Even when I'm out hiking, I'm always looking for crystals on the trail, or a flash of a bluebird's wings. Today I looked out the sunroom window to see what my kitty was chattering about, and I saw a bluebird, a rose finch and a goldfinch just outside in the bare trees. It was as if God had handed me a special gift to cheer me up. Nature's jewelry. Though I can't go out hiking right now, it seems God is bringing me the beauty of the hiking trail to enjoy.
I love beautiful things. I love to walk through a jewelry store just to look. Though I have a jewelry chest, I don't usually buy anything for myself. Most of my jewels are gifts from someone who loves me, especially Mel. After we got married, he started buying some piece of jewelry for me every month to celebrate our monthly anniversary. I had to stop him or our bedroom would be overrun by jewelry boxes. My mother will see a piece of jewelry and think of me and buy it for me. When I get together with my girlfriends from high school every year, we exchange gifts. Usually, one of the girls has been making jewelry that year, and I have some beautiful handmade pieces that I cherish.
Though very little of my collection is valuable in the eyes of a true jeweler, it's very precious to me. I can look at the earrings my mother bought me eighteen years ago when I was single and had to dress up for work. I can look at the freshwater pearl earrings and necklace Mel bought me on our honeymoon, or I can look at the necklace and earring set my girlfriend gave me at our last high school retreat. I even have older pieces that belonged to my mother when I was growing up--and one locket my mother gave to me that belonged to my grandmother. Inside is a tiny picture of my grandmother on one side and my mom on the other. I have a pendant that is a tiny gold replica of the Christy award Mel and I won several years ago, and that Mel had a girlfriend--who is a jeweler--make especially for me. Mel has a matching tie tack.
My jewelry case contains something far more valuable than the small amounts of gold, silver and gems, it contains sweet memories.
Would you share some of your memories with us? Do you have a custom made wedding ring--like mine is? Or a locket or ring, watch or necklace that holds a special memory for you? What's in your jewelry case?
Labels: earrings, jewelry, necklaces, special rings