Freshwater pearl necklace

Past: I received this pretty little necklace from my aunt and uncle on my mom’s side of the family when I was in—I’m guessing here—the eighth grade. Birthday? Christmas? The details are fuzzy. This branch of the family tree was sporadic in its gift giving. Not that gifts should ever be expected, but we just weren’t that close with one another, bloodlines or not. Perhaps that explains why I just never developed a sentimental attachment to this necklace. Most of the pieces of jewelry that I wear have a little story behind them—like Gramma Rita’s peridot ring or her lovebirds necklace—and a sense of history and attachment. This necklace did not.

After nearly 20 years of this necklace lying dormant in my dresser drawer—making the move from house to apartment to apartment to home—I decided it was time to give this necklace a new lease and to connect it with somebody who would feel a sense of attachment to it.

I posted it on Craigslist in the free section, knowing I would likely be inundated with responses. My one request was to know why these people would like to receive this necklace. I explained my desire to give this piece of jewelry a story and meaning and a sense of value, and figured the right person would present him or herself.

In fact—quite a few people would have given this necklace the sense of value that I was looking for. People really opened up to me. It was overwhelming and heartwarming and a more than a bit humbling. Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to receive so many pretty pieces of jewelry—both heirlooms and new pieces. I know that I’m lucky for all that I have, but this little quest of connecting this old necklace with a new owner, helped me see that luck and good fortune are not all about an accumulation of things.

Present: After one false start, some e-mail technical difficulties, and a rainstorm unlike any that I have ever seen, my old necklace made its way into its new owner’s hands. A woman my own age who, quite simply, wanted the necklace for herself.

Her story echoed with me for days. It was honest and personal and full of promise and hope and goodwill. She was a hard worker with a big heart—strong on the outside and sensitive on the inside. And had been a giver her whole life. However, her interest in the necklace was not at all coming from a place of “it’s time for me to receive a little something.” Rather, she was on the cusp of making some healthy, positive changes in her own life—all the while dedicating herself to giving her daughter a life of abundance. This pretty piece of jewelry was a way to commemorate the woman she is—both where she has come from and where she is headed.

Being well off has little to do with money and everything to do with perspective. That’s the lesson she taught me. Finally, that little necklace has a sense of meaning. I need not have it around my neck to remember its story.