Wednesday, April 9, 2014

What Would You Bring?

We added a new supervisor to our department last month. She's been killing it. I love it when a new employee isn't afraid to speak up and bring positive change. In an effort to get to know her team better, she invited them this week to a breakfast potluck in which she asked them to bring something that showed who they are. Who doesn't love a breakfast potluck? I'd choose them over a lunch/dinner potluck anytime.

I wanted to attend the meeting just to see what everyone brought as their one thing and so I could share what I would bring. What would I bring? The answer wasn't that hard. It's probably not what other's would think. No, not one of my camera's nor a cup of coffee. If I had to bring the one thing that shows who I am, it would have been my charm bracelet.

I say would have been, because in the last year I either misplaced it or someone stole it. While it makes me feel bad, I'm surprisingly not as heart-broken as I thought I would have been, but that's another post.

One spring, my family took a short trip to San Francisco. It was memorable for many reasons. One of which, while on the streets of the city, we found our way into a random souvenir shop. As we looked around for cheap treasures that would mark our visit, dad took Eliz and I up to the front of the store and there beneath a glass case were silver sterling charm bracelets and charms galore.

I don't know that I even know what they were before that moment but I was amazed when dad asked if Eliz and I would like to have one. Yes, absolutely, before he changed his mind, yes! Thus begun decades of collecting charms from our moves and our travels.

Whenever we found ourselves in a new place, the hunt for our silver loot would begin. I had charms from Delaware (a silver piece in the shape of the state), the Franklin Mint, Italy (the Colosseum), Spain (a fan), Greece (the acropolis), Indonesia (a puppet), Hong Kong (a bicycle car) , Singapore (another bicycle car) , Germany (a beer stein), Alaska (a totem pole), Texas (a cowboy boot), Sacramento (a gold mining car), France (the Eiffel Tower, of course!), just to name a few.

In time, my charm bracelet became full with almost every other link taken by some silver trinket. I loved the little jingling sound that was heard each time I moved my arm as the charms clinked against one another. The charms represented where I've been and who I've become. I've left part of myself in each place and have taken a part of each place with me, forever in my heart. Still there are some places that I've not been able to come back with a shiny treasure. Florida is one of them. I've been to the state, at least half a dozen times and I've yet been able to find a charm.

My charm bracelet has been so special that when Brie was about the same age as I was when I got mine, I bought her one and little by little, she has been slowly been building up the number of charms hanging on the links. It's one of the things from my youth that she just gets.

With so many charms, some still not even attached to the bracelet, it was my plan to purchase another bracelet, put half my charms on one bracelet, half my charms on another and give one to Matthew and one to Brienne for them to give to their daughters. So why aren't I heartbroken that I no longer have my bracelet in my possession? I still don't believe it's missing forever. I have hope I will find it. It's either in my car or my room. I'm not sure where, but I will find it. I must find it. It's not lost forever, it can't be.

If you had to bring one thing to a potluck that represented who you are...what would you bring?

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