I decided to write my own short post after getting inspired by Bill Shapiro’s “What We Keep.” The instructions are simple-choose an object that brings you joy, magic, and meaning.
Next month will be the one-year anniversary of my mother’s passing. More recently, I found an untouched bracelet of hers that was hanging in her closet for years. I had never noticed it before. I took it with me to NY, and wear it often. Every time I wear it, people compliment me on it, and it makes me feel grief over the loss of my mom and joy over how remnants of her remain alive.
Some of my fondest memories are comprised of when she’d spend hours helping me find the perfect dress for high school dances, curl my hair, and do my makeup for me. Others went to hair salons and makeup artists to get all dolled up-but my mom did everything for me. That bracelet reminds me of her beauty lessons-to wear myself with layers of confidence, a ton of sparkle, and keep my aura bright. In that sense, she is still with me, wherever I go.