Necklaces

My nephews have always been interested in my necklaces.  I used to wear a Tiffany’s heart necklace (it was a gift that I bought for myself to commemorate when I had some editorial work published in a magazine), and both of my nephews loved it when they were babies.  When I would hold them they would immediately reach for it and could be distracted by it for ages.  It was so cute.

These days I always wear two necklaces at a time.  I’ve talked about one of them before; it’s a necklace that holds a little bit of Sawan’s ashes in it.  It’s a comfort to me, and even if I have a day when I wear my jammies all day, I pretty much put it on and wear it.  But I wear it on a long chain, so that I can wear another one, too.  I switch it up with the second one.  I generally either wear something “over the top” fashion wise, as is my want, or I wear the Tiffany butterfly that Sawan bought me the first Christmas we were married, or I wear a necklace that my dad bought me for Christmas this year.  It is a circle and reminds me to:  “Be brave.  Live life.”  On days when I feel that I need this reminder, I wear it.

Yesterday was bound to be a rough day.  As I was getting dressed, I started to put on jewelry and I almost put on the old Tiffany necklace, because my nephew, Asher, is right at that age where he would love to play with it and I was going to be with him and knew I would be holding him.  But I also knew that I needed the reminder yesterday to live bravely, to find the things in my life now that I love.  So I put  on the "be brave" necklace instead.

Last night Asher climbed into my lap.  He picked up my “Sawan Necklace” and held it for a minute, studying it.  Then, he pressed it to himself, right in the spot where he does “please” in sign language.  Then, he pressed it to my heart, and then touched it to my “be brave” necklace.  Then, he put it to his mouth, the way he does “kisses.”  Then he climbed down from my lap.

"be brave" necklace on the left, on the right is the "Sawan necklace"

I don’t know what this means, but it was a powerful, special moment between us, and I loved it.