Diamonds Are Forever -- Even Those Hidden From Our Eyes

     

                       This story, a much needed comfort right now, comes from Bainbridge Island, Wash., a Seattle neighbor with forest trails and landscaped gardens and gasp-worthy views of Cascade and Olympic peaks and Puget Sound. What begins as a tale of loss ends with a recovery. It's a tale we need to hear. As difficult as things may be, we must keep faith that there will be healing. As the saying goes, diamonds are forever -- even when they are hidden from our eyes.  

  -- Jaye Ann Terry and Margo Hammond 

 

My mother died in Florida on December 18, 2006. Rather than go to her memorial and then come all
the way back to Bainbridge Island (Washington State) for Christmas, we decided to stay in Florida and go to Marco Island and spend the holiday there. So obviously we didn’t have a lot of Christmas presents because we were there for a funeral. So we just all kind of said we love you to each other and had lots of great meals.

But before we came home, Bob, my husband, got out a little box and said, "I want to give you this for Christmas." I went, "Oh, oh, you shouldn’t have. We weren’t going to exchange presents." And I opened it up and it was this beautiful necklace that Kerry, our daughter, had helped him buy: three diamonds and just beautiful.

I was blown away. I don't think I had ever owned a diamond necklace at that point..not one as nice as this. It meant so much. I was so sad because my mom had died, but this made me happy. So it was back and forth.

       

I didn’t wear it all the time. I only wore it on special occasions. Years later, however, I went to wear it and it wasn’t in my jewelry box! It wasn’t in my little Tiffany jewelry bag that I keep my diamond studs in either. Where was my necklace? I couldn’t find it. I looked everywhere. I prayed to St. Anthony: 

Tony, Tony look around, something’s lost and can’t be found. 

I must’ve said that a hundred times for a year. Every time I opened my drawer I thought, maybe it’s there, maybe it’s there, maybe it’s hiding, maybe I can find it. Nope. So I just gave up on it. 

And then for Christmas 2018, I asked for a leather backpack. I didn't get one, which must have meant that I had been a bad girl. So I said, "Oh, I’ll just use the old backpack I had from years ago."  I got out this black backpack and was going through all the pockets. It must have had ten zippered compartments -- a lot of bells and whistles. And in one of the compartments, I put my hand in and pulled out the necklace. I couldn’t believe it! It had been missing for at least two years. I had just given up on it. Kerry had asked, "Where is your necklace? And I had confessed, "I don’t know. I think I lost it."  I don’t think I ever told Bob, but maybe I did. And there it was. 

Now I wear it and think how I'm so happy that I found it. I do owe St. Anthony money. I should send it to his diocese or his rectory in New York City because he’s helped me out so many times. Good old St. Anthony. And there it is!

Bijoux Bio Interview March 2, 2019

Mary Sue Silver, Bainbridge Island