Little Star

Somewhere along my travels I picked up this ring:

It's been in my jewellery for years. I can't say where I got it from, not definitively, but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say my mother. Or grandmother. Actually, now that I think about it, grandmother does ring a bell. Over a decade ago, she gave me this bag of necklaces, rings and earrings she didn't want anymore, that she was passing along.

Both my mother and grandmother had gorgeous jewellery boxes. I always thought when I got older I'd have a jewellery box matching the calibre of theirs, one I'd store all my silver and gold and secrets in. I envisioned sitting on my bed with my daughter going through a finely carved wooden box, as I had done with my mother and grandmother alike. It was one of those things I really loved to do. In fact, I think the last time I went up to visit my mom we did this again. Of course, she didn't want to let go of the really good stuff. Just kidding.

 The truth is, I don't have a jewellery box. And all my necklaces are this jumble of chains that I'd have to sit down and dedicate a night or two to untangling. Still, I do have some jewellery and, if I do have a daughter, or son, I'm not one to gender identify these tasks, maybe they will want to go through this small box of trinkets, pendants and pins with me. I'll explain to them it's a kind of tradition.

Is this something a lot of little girls did with their mothers? And did your mothers have your baby teeth in their jewellery boxes? My mom did. That memory just came back to me now. Haven't thought about that in forever.

Now, back to the ring I was talking about. I will confirm with my mother to see if she recognizes it. I can't say exactly how many years it's been in my possession, but I just noticed something fabulous about it. On the inside band, there is a little star engraved.

I've never been attached to this ring. Don't get me wrong, it came from my grandmother (or mother), so obviously I cherish it, but it wasn't ever something I wore. It simply sat in my non-jewellery-box jewellery box and existed. But this little star has changed that. This little star has made my night a little brighter.

I am wondering who put the star there and why.

Funny how noticing something so small and seemingly insignificant can change the value of an object. This ring is now one of my most favourite things. I always considered myself a fairly observant person, but somehow I missed this little star. And I wonder, is there a reason I have noticed this star now? Tonight? Eh, that's probably just my overactive imagination demanding to be noticed again.

Huzzah for being perceptive and giving new value to something you took for granted.

And pardon my hands that are in need of a manicure or, at the very least, some lotion.