My mom beaded this necklace. It was sold many years ago… but I still use this pic. She was so good at choosing the perfect accent beads to match any pendant I made. When I was little she used to make beaded jewelry for extra income on the side, all while wrangling 2 toddlers. Fast forward 25 years, when she helped me launch my own jewelry making biz, accompanying me to trade shows and craft fairs, wrangling my twin toddlers, and of course, stringing beads around the kitchen table. It makes me feel good to know that our Mother/daughter jewelry is still out there in the world.

9 months ago I had to say goodbye to my mom for the last time. It takes 9 months for a woman to prepare herself – mind body and spirit – for becoming a mother. But there really is no way to prepare yourself for becoming motherless. 9 months of gestating grief, anxiously awaiting my own re-birth… but much like the transformation of motherhood, this change is long and slow, messy, and unpredictable. But I am getting through it. Despite all the battle scars, I am stronger. I am growing. I am my mother’s daughter, and she taught me perseverance. She taught me to be brave. She taught me that a mother’s love knows no bounds. And she continues to inspire me, every single day.

I’ll hold down the fort, mom. You can rest now.