Sacredness of the Ordinary

  

Something that holds a very special place in my heart is my charm bracelet. To others, it  may seem like an ordinary bracelet but to me it is so much more. It belonged to my aunt Karen, my mother’s older sister. I’ve heard so many stories about her but we’ve never met. That’s because she died of cancer in the ninth grade.

I know that I never knew her, but I feel like I did. When I was younger, I didn’t know too much and I just looked over it like it was something that happened in the past and I didn’t feel a personal connection. But now that I’m older I see that what happened was true and real. It actually happened. It makes me sad to think about. It’s strange to think about what could’ve been if I had known her. It’s funny how losing something you never really had can take such a toll on you.

I wish I got to meet her. Sometimes I feel like it was the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened in my family, but that’s not true. The worst thing that could’ve happened would have been to not have had her in the world at all. I’m grateful for the life she had because although it was short, it had value. She touched so many lives and the joy she brought people throughout her life was much greater than the pain brought on by her death.

I also know that she is watching over me and my family. I remember that every time I look at her bracelet. After my mom had me, she became very ill. She prayed that Karen could be there with her to make sure everything went okay. On two occasions, she awoke to find a nurse by her bedside telling her that her name was Karen and that she was going to help her. This was just one of the times that she has watched over and protected us.

As important as the stories and thoughts are to me, it’s sometimes hard to remember all of it is real when she’s not physically here to remind me.  That’s why the bracelet has so much meaning. The five charms attached to the thick silver chain all have a story. The first one is a bowling pin, because she was on the bowling league. The second one is a baseball because she loved sports and was very athletic. She was the only girl on her little league team, and her coach always said that she was their best player. The third one is Santa’s face. This one was a gift. The fourth charm says “Athens” on it because our family is Greek. She traveled there once, and that’s where she got it. The last one is a sombrero charm that my grandparents got her when they went on a trip to Mexico. To me, this bracelet embodies her so well. After all, she picked out the charms. Knowing that she wore it and held it in her hand and that I can now do the same makes me feel a special connection between the two of us. It always helps me remember that even though she can’t physically with me, she is watching over me. I see so much sacredness in this seemingly ordinary object.