Mother-in-Law's Pearls

Many thanks to Carol Joy for sharing her pearl story!

"I suppose pearls always seemed a bit prissy and stuffy; perhaps I can create a bit of an image change and make them equally apropos for church and for rock 'n' roll!
The photo shows me on the left, wearing my mother-in-law's pearls, and my friend Kristina, wearing her own."

[caption id="attachment_9470" align="aligncenter" width="389"] Carol Joy and Kristina loving their pearls![/caption]

"Although I own pearl studs (both black and white) and a lovely single strand necklace (a gift for being my brother's maid of honor), as well as an Honora black leather cuff with a triple row of pearls that is both fierce and ladylike, I never really truly got into wearing pearls. My mother-in-law gave me her gorgeous double-strand necklace several years ago, because she knew that I appreciate jewelry for more than its monetary value, and she specifically didn't want her other daughter-in-law to have it. I never wore it, though--it always sort of felt as if it wasn't MINE.
My mother-in-law died this past April. We hadn't even had the memorial service yet, when both my sister-in-law and her grown daughter began making inquiries about the pearls; both claimed that they were "entitled" to the necklace. My husband spoke for me, and I had to defend myself as well: I said that if a person cannot give their property away while they're still alive and trust that their wishes will not be reversed, then there's a problem with the situation. The wishes of the deceased need to be respected.
Perhaps this sounds bizarre, but I then felt "worthy" to wear my mother-in-law's pearls, as if by defending her wishes I had "earned" them. I have only worn them a couple of times, as I wish to have them restrung, but I HAVE vowed to wear them, both on dressy occasions and with jeans. Why not?
With my husband's and my 30th (pearl) anniversary coming up in less than a month, I'd say my epiphany arrived at a most appropriate time!

Thanks so much for sharing your story, Carol Joy! We are sending you a 25% off coupon... maybe you can use it to re-string those pearls!

If you want to share your pearl story, click here... Share Your Pearl Story