With the release of YUKON WEDDING today, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about treasures. I’ve been pondering what makes them, why we hide them, what happens when we lose them or when we grab the wrong ones. There’s a lot to ponder.
Some of the best treasures are tokens, or milestones. Wedding rings, my first valentine from my husband, the signed bat White Sox baseball star AJ Pierzynski gave my son this past summer--objects that call up a host of happy or significant memories. We are a tactile species; things around us can spur memories when we interact with them.
In my book, Lana has a brooch she wears every day to remind her of the woman she believed she could have been (and still is, somewhere inside). Her life changes when the brooch is damaged, and it spurs her to take drastic new steps. I have something close to that: I have a bracelet--two of them, in fact, that I wear everyday. Each bead represents something specific and positive in my life. It is a celebration of sorts--our generation’s version of the charm bracelet. Pandora and Trollbeads were the first to market these, but there have been many versions in recent years. I buy a bead to celebrate an achievement or a milestone, and I deliberately never buy them to memorialize sad occasions. It’s like wearing a timeline of optimism around my wrist, my life’s blessings in baubles.
How to you collect your blessings? Do you mark them at all? Would you like to?
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My kids gave me a Pandora bracelet for my birthday so I guess that is my new collection.
ReplyDeleteMy big hobby is card making. I do very elaborate ones for any occasion. It hasn't translated into scrapbooking for me but maybe it should! All my friends have said they have kept every card I have made for them as a way to remember and also because they can't bear to throw them out. A nice compliment for sure.
Peace, Julie
Hi Allie:
ReplyDeleteI had to wait but I now have “Yukon Wedding” for my Kindle. It’s going to be a treat to see how the “Alaskan Brides” all began. Has Love Inspired ever combined an historical series with a contemporary series? I think it is a great idea.
Vince
I love the bracelets, Allie! I've always wanted to start a charm bracelet, and to get a charm engraved with each book title. Once I have enough to make a decent bracelet, I may still do it! :)
ReplyDeleteGosh Julie, should I mention my birthday is November 5? Vince, I love the idea of a contemporary and historical mix, too. It was done once before--I'll try and look up the titles for you or if any of the other authors on line remember the series, chime in. And Missy, I say you only need one charm to start, so just start now!
ReplyDeleteI actually did go price bracelets. But I want gold and about keeled over when I saw the prices! LOL
ReplyDeleteI guess I may have to settle for silver. :)
Oh so glad this book is out I added to my growing soon to order list.
ReplyDeleteI dont really have a special bracelet or anything.
I to wanted a charm bracelet I have a couple of charms one being a silver bike and I have a gold cricket bat and ball.
I do scrapbook but haven't done any in about 2 and a half years. I do have a box of treasures.
I have to say one of my treasures is my autograph bear Beau. My friend tried to get all the Western Australian Cricket team to sign it. Im a huge fan. She sent it to me for Christmas several years ago and I then took it to a game in South Australia to get more autographs. One of the players named him. then Beau and I went to Perth WA for a trip to watch cricket and got all but about 3 players 2 were not there and the other was a fringe player and not at practice that night. Its a special bear. My other is a small mascot bear (about half the size of a beanie baby) its in the South African cricket clothing and I got my favourite cricketer who happens to be South African Neil McKenzie to sign it. Its a real treasure for me.
ReplyDeleteLove your bracelets and the idea behind them.
ReplyDeleteThough I promissed myself never to buy or wear any, because it brings bad memories.
I offered one of those to a friend - with the idea of adding the beads in time with moments - and all of the sudden she broke our friendship.
It really put me off from those.
I do have a treasures box where I keep those things you celebrate in beads - a birthday candle, a cinema ticket, a stone offered by the kids, messages I receive, a wrap, even funny cartoons I cut from newspapers...