I got this necklace for my seventh birthday. I loved roller skating and Wonder Woman and Olivia Newton John's song, Xanadu. My mom made the giving of the necklace a sort of special thing, separate from my birthday party at Sunset Park. She gave me the tiny wrapped jewelry box in the morning, sometime after breakfast but before I got dressed for the day. I remember the eye contact when she said, “Happy Birthday” and the huge hug and exchange of ‘I love you’s’ after I opened it. My mom was great at gifts and thoughtful moments. Even at age seven, I knew how much care she put into choosing this for me. She knew I would love it.

I still love it all these years later. It reminds me of my mom. It reminds me of being a kid. It reminds me of being young and free and feeling the wind whoosh through my hair as I skated in big circles around the rink to awesome music and disco lights. It reminds me of who I am and who I've always been. It's a bit worn and tarnished, but it still shines. I think my mom would be proud of me. I hope so. I know so.

Thank you, mom, for this little gift of enormous value. I miss you, and I think of you often.