This is the month for my favorite holiday of the year! While it is true that my first (holiday) love is Christmas, Thanksgiving is my favorite. Both my son (Ricky) and my husband were born on Christmas Day…. so, understandably,  that holiday has been (for me) a month-long celebration of love–for years!   As I mature (still in the process, btw)I continue to strive to learn how to better live in gratitude. I learned early that I am blessed, so it didn’t take long for Thanksgiving to become my all-time favorite. It’s a simple choice, really. As Thanksgiving approaches, there is no need to obsess over what the perfect gift is for whom. No need to obsess about how I will outdo my previous surprises.  And, there’s no need to think about gift-giving budgets, nor any need to worry about disappointing  myself–because I once-again go over my budget! Thanksgiving is a holiday where good friends & family come together to share a meal and give thanks. That’s it, plain and simple!  Oh, isn’t the  simple the most profound!  While I continue to learn how to better live each day in gratitude…Thanksgiving motivates me to take pause and reflect on the year(s) and time passed.
TOP OF MY THANKSGIVING LIST
My career in the Diamond Industry is at the top of my Thanksgiving list!  Not too long ago, while working I was privileged (more than once) to wear a necklace with an historical diamond, which sold at Christie’s for over $20 Million. Work, work, work - LOL!  I also wore (while working) a bracelet with a natural diamond that cost only $69….both items made me smile (I can’t whistle) while I worked. Think about it: Diamonds are a girl’s best friend…but, we don’t need them to survive. A Diamond is not a necessity for life or happiness;  so, pricing is not a huge worry, like the price of bread and milk! Also, natural diamonds are available at every price-point from the most affordable to the most ridiculous.  Once only for royalty, then only for the most wealthy elite…today, Diamond jewelry is accessible to most. Whether a jewelry item with natural diamonds is being considered as a purchase with a price tag of $59 or $9 million…Diamonds are forever and they are a universal symbol of love. So, working in the Diamond Industry can keep a smile on anyone’s face!
Eventually, my career in the Diamond industry expanded into a career in the Fine Jewelry Industry…& thankfully so! I think Jewelry, like Diamonds, should also last forever!  Fine quality jewelry, which is well crafted with any precious metal to display any genuine gemstone, makes us feel more beautiful. More importantly, fine jewelry means more than any fleeting accessory . Fine jewelry can be “affordable”,  so that no woman (with the right information or guidance) needs to settle for costume jewelry, which will one day be dull, in pieces and eventually in a dump.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve as a curator for consumers and an educationalist for the industry…helping to ensure that quality jewelry is available to enhance our milestone celebrations or any moment in time, worth remembering.
Expressions of Thanks & Love
Bold or delicate, contemporary or vintage, value-priced or highly-priced, the fine jewelry that we purchase (or wear) tells our story today and long after we have gone. Our story told with fine jewelry is not a story about style or fashion…it is more. When we choose an item of fine jewelry as a gift of love or for a celebration of life, we are choosing personal expressions of thanks & love, which will last forever. So, I give thanks (as probably you do, too) each time I put on a personal item of jewelry that marks a moment in time …of shared love or  a shared celebration or a personal moment that I treasure.  Blessed are you, if you also  have an opportunity to wear an item of fine jewelry that was given to you by someone who is gone. Maybe, that item once touched the skin of a friend or family member and she chose you to be the next recipient of her special piece of jewelry. That person loved you and chose you to wear her story ….& that is certainly reason to give thanks!
Personal Expressions of Thanks & Love
This year it will be two years, since my dear little Ricky left this world just before he was 19 years old. As a severely disabled boy, Ricky lived much longer than anyone predicted and he lived a rich and purposeful life…giving so much to others.  (Sidebar: he believed he was Santa’s helper and each year he collected toys for disadvantaged children and loved delivering the gifts and spending time with the kids from various organizations/homes). Prior to being home-bound, Ricky attended school with typical children;  without the gift of speech or movement, Ricky with the help of augmentative communication devices, an ability to “read” others, his use of  facial expressions, his emotional intelligence, and his loving heart… he gave oh, so much to this world (and to individuals who were open to learn)!  I am especially thankful for all of my industry friends & followers who help me through my grief with words of support, books for support and for just checking in with me for oh so many months.  Following a year of inconsolable grief, I somehow emerged grateful for the time I had with Ricky. I think it is  now time to find a fine jewelry locket that can hold a picture or two of him…close to my heart, as I continue to give thanks for Ricky and the love we shared. Hmm…”You’ve Gotta Have Heart” https://jewelryactivist.com/2013/01/
Gifts of Meaning
While the focus of Thanksgiving is giving Thanks, no doubt it also marks the start of the holiday shopping season. Fine Jewelry is again my choice for holiday gift-giving…so if you would like some specific ideas, revisit my  post from last year, which is still relevant: “Give Gifts of Meaning & Lasting Value”   https://jewelryactivist.com/2012/12/
