Thursday, November 6

Sweet Memory

If you follow my blog with any frequency, you will remember that recently I lost a very dear friend, who days before she passed, lost her first child as well. To say that the situation is surreal is to understate it grandly. To say that one doesn't bounce quickly from that level of grief is to sum it up correctly.


There is not a day that passes that I don't think of Jessica.


In the immediate days following her death, I felt the need to do something to mark her passing. Something that would help keep her memory close.


Upon the inspiration from Allison of Soccer Mom in Denial, I thought perhaps a piece of jewelry might be fitting. From there I contacted Crystal who, along with her mother, runs the business TWO BELLES AND A BEAD, and whom I have turned to in the past to create lovely pieces for others in my life. This time it would be my turn. With Crystal's guidance and artistic eye, using my awkward descriptions via email, we created together a remembrance piece.
Then she created 2 necklaces, one for Jessica's mother and one for me.



So I can carry her close to my heart.



As I told her mom in the accompanying letter with the gift, the design of this piece was purposeful in design and intention. The pink crystal represents Jessica herself (for all the metophorical reasons you can imagine) and the star which hangs there with her represents her son Jason. The two are together, surrounded by love, and collectively is the poetic vision of where I believe she is now, dancing with her baby among the stars.


I love this piece. And I love my friend.


If you do nothing else today, do this:
Tell someone how much you love them.

8 comments:

  1. that's so beautiful! wow, what a lovely thing to do to remember your dear friend.

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  2. Beautiful sentiments. I'm glad you found a means to catharsis.

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  3. Wow, that is so touching and beautiful. It's just so good to have a physical reminder and/or keepsake. It can be so important!

    Not totally unrelated, I have my grandfather's wedding ring. My grandma gave it to me on my 21st birthday, remade and remodeled, but on the inside their engraved names were still there...

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  4. Oh my. Words cannot describe how beautiful that all is. The effort, the collaboration, the gift, the letter....

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  5. How beautiful in its simplicity as well...a lovely way to carry someone beloved close to your heart.

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  6. All the time, Jenn. I tell my loved ones that all the time.

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  7. I had missed your story about Jessica. You have come up with a lovely and shining way to remember her. And share that remembrance.

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  8. This is such a wonderful way to keep your friend close to your heart.

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