so much more than a piece of jewelry…

The locket…

I always wanted a locket. I asked my parents for one every year on my birthday and at Christmas. I got everything else I wanted…well almost…but never a locket. I got a beautiful gold ID bracelet when I was 5 and threw it in the trash can at my Grandma’s house. I wanted a locket. I know it wasn’t nice but I “was” only 5… My mother looked at my arm and asked me where my bracelet was…I took her hand and led her out into the kitchen and pointed in the trash can.. To say she was unhappy with me is putting it mildly. I didn’t get to wear the bracelet for awhile…”until I learned how to take care of it”…

What made me think about this is a few weeks ago a friend and I at work were talking about the days when everyone wore lockets. We both said our grandmothers had one and so did our mothers. But not me, no I never had one. I remember one birthday in particular I again asked for the yearly gift request…a locket. My mother just smiled and said we will see. Here is a picture of me at my birthday party that year…not wearing a locket. My friend sitting next to me is proudly wearing hers though. Me…I’m the one with the kind of sad look on my face…and its my party…and “I’ll cry if I want to”..

Cheri with a locket…me with no locket…

And so this continued throughout my life…this no locket thing. Every year I would wish so hard for someone…anyone to give me a locket. And every year I would be disappointed when I didn’t get one. I would even see a woman on tv wearing one and think to myself…how can they have a locket and I still don’t…

After a while I think lockets became passe..I never saw anyone wearing one and to tell you the truth I had forgotten about my desire to have one. That is until I finally received one. As most of you who read my blog know, my son committed suicide in July of 2016. At Christmas last year my youngest daughter presented me with a gift. Everyone stood around me as I opened the gift and to my surprise…it was a beautiful locket. I loved it! I had finally got a locket. However little did I know that this was not just any locket…she had spent weeks making this one herself. I thought it was beautiful and I finally got what I had always wished for most. My locket.

As I looked at the beautiful necklace my daughter told me to open it and inside was a picture of my son. It was taken just 2 short weeks before his death. It caught me off guard. I loved it!

The inside with my son’s picture..

The tears started flowing as I held the locket in my hand and wrapped my arms around my daughter. This was such a precious gift and I started to tell her how much I loved it. Before I could finish she stopped me and said, “turn it over and look at the back.” And that is when I really lost it. On the backside of the locket when I turned it over was my son’s signature…his own handwriting..I would know it anywhere. And now it is on this beautiful necklace. There was also a butterfly which he loved and always considered a sign. And now I do as well…a sign from him.

A butterfly and his signature….

I couldn’t believe that my daughter made this and worked on it for weeks to have it ready for me by Christmas. I couldn’t stop crying and told her it was the most beautiful thing she could ever have given me and if she never gave me another thing…this was enough…

I wear this locket every day and I think of my daughter when I look at it and give thanks for her thinking of making me such a wonderful gift. I also think of my son when I look at it and feel as if he is with me every day…there in the locket, close to my heart. Sometimes if I am having a really bad day or feeling a little sad..I get this strange feeling and I look down and the locket is flipped over to his signature…I look up to the sky and say…”Thank you Dave.”

“Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection.” ~ Pinder

Did you ever have a locket? Did you ever receive a gift that just blew you away?