Stars and the moon and a soul to guide you

A piece of millefiore that belonged to my grandmother

The first time I visited Joe was a few weeks after we met, over the July 4th week, 2006. I drove down (all nervous!) on Saturday night and stayed until Wednesday morning. Over the course of those few days I helped Joe, who was deep inside the slow, oddly unpressured process of moving, pack up his belongings and prepare the new space. As I wrote at the time, it was really kind of a perfect first date; an amazing and natural and intimate way, through collaboration, to get to know a person.

Sorting through his life, I found stuff I liked (Joe has cool things!), and Joe easefully gifted me a few items; one was a hat that his ex-wife had made (it’s cool and goofy but just a little too goofy and so I’ve never worn it) and the other was a necklace of his. It’s a beautiful piece; a two-sided pendant on a leather cord. It is primarily bone colored with brass, and the vibe is warm and earthy and maybe a little tribal. On the front is a sun motif. The back actually was missing its center stone, which had been, as best as he recalled, a moon. But I liked it well enough in its current state. The brass beads remind me of milleflore, which I love. And as a woman who wears mostly silver, I like the opportunity to warm it up every now and then. I’ve even written before about wanting more suns to wear.

Pretty.

Later that month, back in July of ‘06, Joe and I spent a little time looking for a replacement bead (at Starwood) for the back, but nothing was really right and we didn’t want to get something that would just ‘do’. There was no need, because the front was lovely and it was totally wearable.

It has had a small presence within my jewelry rotation. It is another of these items that I associate (legitimately ) with Joe but have been careful not to over-sentimentalize. Yes, he gave it to me. No, it wasn’t junk. Yes, he knows who he gave it to. But he didn’t pick it out for me, or even find it and decide, this is perfect for Roberta. And there is nothing wrong with how I received it, I just tend toward the over-dramatic, and I have remained well aware, in this case, of what this is and what it ain’t.

Okay, so fast forward. We break up when… Friday?

(Ha! As IF I don’t remember!)

So we break up Friday. Late Friday night and a bit on Saturday there are some emails, but otherwise all is quiet on both sides. We still had Yule gifts to mail/exchange. We are not ‘not talking’, we are in repose.

Wednesday, 11:10 pm, I receive a text.

Joe: What is missing from the necklace I gave you and what shape is the space it is supposed to occupy?

I’m excited. Because hearing from Joe still makes me feel tingly, and because he is thinking of me; out of the blue he’s got something he wants to give me. I am assuming he has found something he feels would fill this space. (Also, I had JUST been thinking about the missing bead.)

Me: It would need to be just under half an inch in diameter by a 16th or even an 8th. The circle is not perfect. It should, but does not have to be a moon. (I include a picture.)

Missing piece (missing some smaller beads as well).

 

Joe: I believe that I have just come across the exact piece that goes there. Photo to follow.

It has a star as well. Please note the url of this blog.

 

So yeah, I’m a little knocked out by this. A little doesn’t come close. I’m kind of breathless and my eyes are moist.

I don’t know… should I list the 500 ways in which this is wondrous? Is it necessary?

A gift from Joe right now (he is sending it to me)… and a gift from the universe, assuring me that this has been a magical and important connection.

“The perfect gift for me would be completions and connections left from last year…”