My Everyday Jewelry, and What it Means to Me

I’m a sentimental person. Movies make me cry; my stuffed animals have personalities; my books have souls. I’m also strangely sentimental about my jewelry. Although I have a small box of bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, I have a few pieces that I wear every day. Because they each mean something to me and tell a part of my story, today I want to share them with you. Here’s the three jewelry items I wear every day, and what they mean to me.

These are my stacking rings. My aunt is a silversmith, and for birthdays she often gives me handmade jewelry. I was given these rings for my 19th Christmas (bottom ring), 19th birthday (middle ring), and 20th birthday (top ring). I love them because they remind me of my wonderful, colorful, inspiring aunt who fills her days with so much creativity and joy. I lived with her and my uncle for a portion of my gap year; these rings remind me to follow my creative passions, like my aunt does, and help me look back on a special period of my life.

This ring is a special ring that Ken and I bought together in Utrecht. It’s small and inexpensive, but it means a lot to me because it reminds me of Ken and our relationship. We’re long-distance, so even the smallest reminders help!

This necklace belonged to my grandmother. It says, in old Dutch, “she believes in the Holy Sacrament.” My grandfather insists that it’s antique and original, but my mother and aunt think it’s a more recent replica. Either way isn’t very important to me; what matters is that it belonged to my grandmother and that it meant something to her. I only knew my grandmother as a child, but I have heard many beautiful stories about her and the example she set for my mom. I love feeling connected to her and her legacy, even through something so small.

As much as it’s true that these little trinkets mean something to me, it’s important to remember that they are just things. I care for them because they connect me to people I’ve lost or have to love from far away. But what’s real, and far more important, is that love. “The best things in life aren’t things” – they are friends and family. I am honored to have both.