I'm going to use the remaining days (of my 100 days) to talk about some of my Mom's things.
My Mom wore the black plastic bead necklace above, a little something pretty to dress up an otherwise plain outfit. I was told that she wore it often while on her last vacation to the Philippines, which she returned from just days before she passed away in June of this year. If I hold it up to my nose, I can still smell her--or maybe I was able to a few months ago and now it's just my imagination playing tricks on me. I found this necklace among the items returned to us by the hospital after she passed away, and I took it without thinking if anyone else wanted it. My immediate need to have something of hers was irrational and a little selfish, but I couldn't help myself.
After the funeral, I've worn her necklace every day either around my neck or wrapped around my wrist like a bracelet. If it's on my wrist, it jiggles a lot. Between typing and working with whatever tools are in my hands, I hear the happy clacking of the plastic beads and it makes me smile.
I love this necklace and consider myself lucky to have such a silly yet precious piece of jewelry from my Mom. It suits me. It's also a part of my Mom's personality that I really appreciated: the fun, stylish, and unpretentious side. And when I'm going about my daily business, it's a reminder that she is still with me.