The Family Jewerly

On my way to Jackson last weekend Lauren and I stopped at the Mexican Kitchen in my hometown, Hattiesburg,MS. My sister and her family met us there to eat a late lunch or early supper..whatever you want to call it..It was good!My sister had a surprise for me. There in all the finery was my mothers jewelry.She told me it was my turn to keep it for a while. Rebecca has had it locked up in a safety deposit box now for about two and half years. She says she is ready to let go and divide the rest of what mother had. We divided the big stuff ,Mothers rings ,diamond bracelet,and earrings about a year ago. Becca is slow in her decision making so I know this was a big move for her. I on the other hand would have been wearing the stuff from day one if it had been in my possession. As sisters,we are like night and day. The jewelry was in a little plastic make up pouch from Walmart. Mother would not like this as she HATED Walmart.That is a different blog and a long one) I might add. None the less mother would not have wanted her heirlooms in this Walmart Make up bag..But I was happy to receive and this is what transpired. I think at least one of us wore a piece of the finery all weekend. At the rehearsal dinner I wore mothers diamond Bee pin. I am not sure if it is real or just dirty. It looks a little fake to me but she loved it just the same. I wore it with a solid green outfit and it perched high on my shoulder. My friend Melinda saw me and screamed..You look just like your mother..I laughed and knew mother would have loved me wearing her BEE pin,,real or fake..it is a treasure. I also had on mothers gold charm bracelet. It is heavy and has only three round charms on it. Each one has a name of one of her three children and the date they were born, It is a real classic. I loved it and it fit my wrist which is rather large. Lucy wore mothers treasured diamond necklace, She had three buttercup set diamonds on a chain for each of her three children. My dad gave it to her and she wore it every day of her life. I never remember seeing her when it was not around her neck. She bathed,swam, everything in it.She also did the same with her rings and diamond bracelet. They wore out fast that way and she was always having to change the chain sand replace clasps, ect.There were two sets of pearls. My brother says one is real and one is fake. I can't tell which is which. I would like to have the long ones because the short strand does not fit my neck. There again,real or fake ,I want the one that fits.. There were two beautiful pins..One with a ruby and the other a diamond. Both are so awesome and I would take either one gladly. There was my grandmothers wedding ring, my dads wedding band, a birthstone grandmother ring of my Mammaw's, and a few other pieces. My mother did not grow up with a lot of things but she did know good stuff. She loved her jewelry and her china. In her later years she used her silver everyday. She drank milk out of silver julep cups because she liked her milk real cold and even put the julep cups in the dishwasher. She did not worry about chips or ruining things as long as she got to enjoy them. I guess this is where I get my zest for life..Live it now, not later..Use it now, you never know what tomorrow will bring. I will always remember that she never worried about her oriental rugs or carpet when my children were growing up. We would come and visit and bring the dog, other friends, she NEVER said..oh no..you are ruining the rug..She just lived.. She let us live.. This is a lesson for me and others who know that there is no promise for the future, Just today. I hope your day is full...I am helping Lucy at her new home again today. Loving you.....Robin