I’ve never been a jewelry kind of girl. I admire it on others, but I’m a little too forgetful and clumsy to merit any great investments. When I was little, my mom gave me a floating heart necklace, which fell off when I was riding Rowdy or maybe Shawn – never to be seen again. I remember combing the sand of the rather large riding ring and fearing my mom would be really angry (she wasn’t). I was the type of young girl who carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. Such a small loss made me feel like a failure. I scarcely wore nice jewelry after that.

Years later, on Valentines’ Day in my first year of college, my mom gave me a beautiful gold ring with dark stones. Less than a month later, I accidentally smashed it with a hammer while building a set. It had to be cut off my finger. Needless to say, my favorite pieces of jewelry – those tiny little vintage hands and pearls – only come out when I’m in rare form and cautiously aware. But even with my costume jewelry, I just don’t take it out of their boxes enough. Maybe it’s psychological; maybe it’s sheer forgetfulness. I keep promising myself I’ll accessorize more, as if it’s a deficiency.

When LuShae jewelry offered to send me one of their promise rings or another item of my choosing, I almost declined (merely because I didn’t want it to go to waste) – until I saw a tiny little floating heart necklace that reminded me of my own. I didn’t choose it for me, but for little Roxy Mae, who wore it every day I was home (and in return, gave me a gift of one of her teddy bears). She has proven to be much more responsible than I ever was, but even if it gets lost in the sand the next time she’s riding the same little pony I grew up with, I won’t mind one bit. It’s the memories that carry the most weight.