Charm Bracelets, again!

Yes, I wrote, back in December, 2007, about charm bracelets. I mean, growing up in the 50s and 60s meant if you were a girl you have a charm bracelet. Some had more charm -- and charms -- than others.

I lost my charm bracelet from those years back in the early 70s during one of our moves. How I wish I had that bracelet today.

I've spent hours on E-Bay searching for a bracelet that comes close to what I had on my bracelet. You see, today journaling is all the rage, but back then, except for our very private diaries, girls had a charm bracelet.

When you had an "event" in your life, you got a charm to depict that event.

Mine started with my 8th grade graduation. I got a heart with my name engraved on it, and the date of the graduation. Then through high school, I picked up a few more charms -- I got a typewriter, a nurse's cap (I thought I might want to be a nurse), a violin, a piano with a lid that lifted up, a diploma, a graduation cap, a tennis racket (because I won a tennis tournament). Then when I went to college as a math major, I picked up some "mathematics" charms -- an abacus, a protractor, a compass, and a slide rule. On the slide rule, the slider moved. I also got a globe (all silver), an hour glass, and an artists palette. Someone gave me a silver Bible that opened up, but I don't recall that it had any scripture in it. My mother-in-law gave me a screw-ball charm. And I got a bowling charm from a boyfriend who liked to take me bowling. That was it. I also got an engagement ring charm from Alan, but...

When I got married I started another charm bracelet. The engagement ring charm was the first I put on that bracelet. It doesn't have many charms, which means that I haven't have many significant things occer in the last 42 years or it means that I just forgot about it until recently.

I know when we visited places, I would pick up charms, but I haven't attached them, and I have misplaced most of them. What a shame.

I'm trying to be more attentive to that bracelet of my life since marriage. Someday a daughter or daughter-in-law may want it. Or not.