My Mothers Pearls

When I was about 13 years old my Dad bought my mother a beautiful string of cultured pearls from Raff's Jewlery Store in Huntington Park. That was a luxury back then. Dad was always buying nice things for Mom. I remember his buying her a new fur coat. Really, who needs a fur coat in California? Well no matter Dad wanted her to have one and so she got it. Back to the pearls. They were beautiful and I learned the way to keep them that way was to wear them, especially against your skin because they absorbed the oil from the skin and that kept them shiny. They are lifeless if they are kept in a box. Only by wearing them often do they keep their luster.
I don't remember when Dad bought Mom the three strand, but I do remember when he did, I got the single strand of Pearls for my very own. I loved those pearls and wore them when I got dressed up, and gave them a great amount of care. They were kept very speical until the time when I presented them to my daughter. I believe she wore them for her Senior pictures as I did when I graduated from High School. I don't recall seeing her wear them since then, but I am not with her all that many times either.
Our oldest grand daughter was born in June and of course that is the month the birthstone is Pearl. This naturally brought forth the idea that that single strand of pearls would be given to her, Keara when she, at least, was ready to graduate from High School. Many years have passed since then, and I am sorry to say the passing of those very special pearls has not taken place, or at least not to my knowledge. I am sure Mom would love to see Keara have them, and I pray the day is soon at hand when that transfer can be completed.
Mom wore those pearls when she was President of the Navy Mothers and PTA President of all the Schools we kids attended, in fact she wore them to a number of PTA conventions when she was an officer in the National Association of PTA. The three strands of pearls Dad bought for Mom still lay in my safe. They need to be restrung for their safey or I would wear them even today. They should go to our Daughter, however I may have them restrung and give them to Keara. I believe she would love and appreciate them even as I do.
A side note about Pearls. Dad bought Mom a Wedding Ring Set with Pearls. The engagement ring had one large Pearl with three smaller Pearls on either side. The wedding ring had 7 small pearls. After Dad passed away she took the wedding ring back to Raff's and asked them to have another made like it so she could have one on either side of the larger ring. They sent it off to have the duplicate made, only the shipment was lost or stolen in the mail. They couldn't duplicate the loss, so they gave Mom a Gold Ring Guard to wear with her Engagment ring. She never was happy with it after that. I don't blame her. Just one of those disappointments in life. So much for the Pearls in our lives. The engagement ring was given to Jeannie Kathleen Smith Mireles Onimus when Mom passed away. Her only June Grand daughter.

Written this 10th day of April 2010
by: Eileen C. Rosenberg