This is a story about how pretty much anything can be made into beautiful jewelry and a reminder to trust in the Lord in all things and reach for others when you need help. I have a friend whose oldest child was in my youngest son's preschool class. She's a lovely person, very easygoing and fun to talk with. She recently moved away, but we are able to keep up via Facebook. It's been fun reading her posts about her move and what her family has been up to since she moved. It's like she never left! She also has a son who is now preschool age. This is where the story gets good.
It's also been fun reading her posts about the crazy things her son does, just like any boy that age does. I am almost out of that stage where their exploits can sometimes be unknowingly dangerous.....almost. Reading about these events from an outsider's perspective can sometimes be very entertaining! About two months ago she posted that her son swallowed a quarter, appeared to be okay, and they would be on the lookout for the quarter's reappearance. Apparently other parents had been through this as evidenced through the comments they left. Now, thankfully, this is one thing that my boys haven't done.
Her next post was to inform us that they were in the hospital awaiting surgery to get the quarter out. That's when it got serious. I prayed, her friends prayed, we all prayed and pretty soon another post appeared stating the quarter was out and her son was okay and had already consumed two Popsicles and one ripe banana. There was even a picture of the monetary culprit. Many people had their suggestions about what to do with the quarter. Mine is what my mind always gravitates towards: jewelry. Let's make something pretty out of a scary situation.
My friend trusted me enough to mail me the quarter and incorporate it into some wearable art. Fortunately the quarter's temporary home left a nice, brassy patina and I love patina. He is the final result:
I put the quarter head side up specifically because of the phrase "In God We Trust." I framed it in a solid brass filigree frame, paired it with a solid brass filigree, and embellished it with 4mm brass austrian crystal.
The cuff is solid brass and measures 1 inch. I etched the outside with the Lord's Prayer and a signature In Small Spectacles cross on the inside. Appropriate given the circumstances and how many prayers were lifted up.
I rewired a vintage tassel with hand-aged rhinestone and wired it to dangle on one side along with a vintage rhinestone button and solid brass antique cross.
I hope my friend likes it. We can all laugh about the event now, but at the time I am sure she was frightened for her little boy as any mother would be. My mother told me and I have often been heard to mutter "The Lord watches out for fools and mothers." Having 3 young sons myself, I know all the trouble they can get into and the near misses and close calls we have endured. I could write a book. But we mothers look back at those events with gratitude to the Lord for getting us all out of those sticky situations without fatalities, serious injuries, and extensive property damage.
I hope when my friend wears the bracelet she remembers the time when her son was a little boy and did something dangerous and yet funny at the same time. How she had friends who prayed for her family and a gracious and kind God who sustained her throughout.
Merry Christmas,
Sara
