The Grammy awards were on last Sunday night, and, as usual, I tuned in just to see my most favorites perform- and hopefully win a few awards.
Nothing says, “you’re out of touch, Erin” quite like watching the Grammy awards. There are so many artists I’ve never even heard of who were winning big awards and performing.
But my very favorite, Carrie Underwood, stunned as usual and took home an award. So I was able to go to sleep early and didn’t stay up to watch the whole show. (Another sign I’m no spring chicken!)
Carrie Underwood wore a jaw-dropper of a diamond necklace. This necklace was $31 million, and was on loan to Carrie for the Grammy awards.
Carrie said to E! News, “It’s heavy on my soul. I’m afraid someone is going to tackle me and steal it … It’s worth more than me.”
And that got me thinking.
I’ll never wear a $31 million necklace. I may never even see a $31 million necklace.
But I have had things in my life that have felt priceless. Maybe they were expensive or maybe they just had significant sentimental value.
There have been times when I’ve received something new for Christmas and I don’t take it out of the box for a few weeks because I’m afraid if I use it, I will break it or lose it.
But it’s the things that hold sentimental value that we’re afraid to wear.
When I was a little girl, my dad’s babysitter from his childhood gave me a little diamond cross necklace. It was hers and it was something she wanted to pass on to me because my dad had been special to her.
I always thought that necklace was so beautiful. But I never wore it because it was just too priceless for a little girl to wear. And it wasn’t until the weekend of our wedding that I started wearing the necklace.
with my best friends, wearing the necklace for the first time in my life
Now I wear it almost every day, but I am very careful about where I put it and where I take it off. Because it’s irreplaceable. And not because of what it’s worth- I don’t even know what it’s worth, but probably not a whole lot. But the sentimental value is priceless.
Do you have anything like that? A grandmother’s engagement ring? A family heirloom?
Are you afraid to wear it or use it?
Aw, love seeing these 4 faces together! I MISS US SO MUCH! To me, that picture and our memories are priceless 🙂
That cross is so simple and lovely. I love it!
When I got married, I was gifted my grandmother’s gold bracelet. Nothing fancy, but something I have worn almost everyday since my wedding day! And, my engagement diamond is my great grandmothers. Talk about being afraid to lose something, yikes! I love the history that they carry with me 🙂
I have my Mother’s Wedding China and since she died when I was a baby it is soooo special and sentimental to me. I don’t even think the pieces that ever even been used! I have hung a few plates on the walls in my dining room because I know I would never be able to eat off of them for fear of breaking them 🙂 At least I get to look at them everyday!
Glad you are back to blogging, I missed reading here everyday! 🙂
My husband proposed to me with his mother’s engagement ring. She passed away unexpectedly when he was just 14. His dad (who has now passed away as well) wanted me to have the ring. It’s a BEAUTIFUL antique, as the ring originally belonged to her grandmother. Talk about being a nervous wreck wearing it! After a few months, my husband purchased the engagement ring that I wear now. We had both decided wearing his Mom’s was just too scary for both of us. Because it’s so old, the gold band had thinned and I would never forgive myself if something happened to it. We did not want to alter the ring in any way (thicken the band, etc), so now it sits in a special place in our room and I cannot wait to be pass this special heirloom down to my children!
i spent a lot of money (or what was a lot of money to me at the time) on white down coat a few seasons ago. i used to baby it in an effort to keep it looking pristine. then i realized that it was truly *the* most expensive (not to mention useless) jacket i owned if i only wore it once or twice a season. now i wear it all the time. i was single when i bought it and now have a dog and a stepdaughter. my once pristine white jacket now has finger and paw prints on it. there are always dog (and kid) treats, a spare pare of kid sized gloved and an extra poop bag in the pocket. it’s lived in and loved. i keeps my toasty warm at soccer games and at the dog park. wouldn’t have it any other way.
my stepdaughter had a bean necklace from tiffany that i gave her last year during our wedding ceremony (i always used to call her little bean). she never wears it. i can’t tell if she’s too much of a tomboy now or it if feels too grown up to wear, but i hope she will enjoy it when she’s older.
The stone in my engagement ring was my grandmother’s stone from her engagement ring. It’s old and not cut all fancy like they are now, but it is so special to me.
I had a gorgeous ring made out of a Tanzanite that my mom and I bought on my last day living in Tanzania. It was a wild day, full of twists and turns, culminating in my Tanzanian “mama” and my real mama visiting a jeweler guarding by Maasai warriors. I brought the gem back hidden safely, and had it made into a beautiful ring, flanked by a pair of diamonds from a pair of my mom’s earrings. I wore the ring every day. One weekend at the Ole MIss-Tennessee game, a big group of my friends were staying at a friend’s hunting cabin. Instead of shopping in the Square with the girls, I went four-wheeling with the guys in a old jeep on the property instead. We got back, windblown and happy, and I glanced down at my hand. The tanzanite was gone. It was a terrible feeling. We searched and searched, but it had disappeared for good.
Calling my mom to tell her was the worst part. I was so scared and disappointed in myself, but she simply said “Samma, it’s a rock. You may have lost it, but you still have the memories. That’s the important part”
Since then, I have tried to wear my grandmother’s jewelry all the time. You rarely will see me without one of her charm bracelets on my wrist. However, the when the maid at the Ritz at Reynolds Plantation stole my grandmother’s South Sea Pearl cocktail ring (obviously, a story for another day) scared me to pieces. However, I got it back!
Longest comment ever.
My wedding engagement ring is actually my great-grandmothers and it is priceless to me. Not only for sentimental reasons but also because it’s such a unique beautiful design. Sometimes it is hard to wear it everyday and not worry about it. I always leave it in the safe when we go camping or skiing or if the weather gets too cold because I swear my hands shrink and I worry it will fall off!
I have a pair of diamond earrings my grandfather had saved up to give my grandmother. She gave them to me before she passed away. I didn’t wear them for about 3 years and then decided that she wanted me to enjoy them. I am sure to take special care of them bc my 9 year old daughter is already looking forward to having them one day as a special momento.
On another note, I lost my high school ring at Pawleys Island the week before graduation. When I was a junior in college someone found it in the ocean in North Myrtle Beach. They wrote to my high school and tracked me down. So sweet to have it returned.
I have my great-grandmother’s wedding band. I don’t wear it because it is too big and I am afraid to have it resized because I fear they will ruin the setting. I still love having it.
I have a diamond cross necklace that my parents gave me at my high school graduation that I haven’t worn in years. And now I’m going to start wearing it! 🙂 I also have a piece of Alex’s Grandmother’s that I need to have sized but haven’t because I’m afraid they’ll mess it up and I’ll feel so bad. I need to get it out of the box and just do it. 🙂
Lovely post.