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Thursday, July 16, 2015

Pearl Stories, No. 2


I have known Shava Lawson for years. We met in Seattle in 1999 and went to school together at the University of Washington. We were both in the BFA metals and jewelry program and have been friends ever since. Shava's package was the 17th one that I opened back in March and I remember being really happy to see her name in the return address. I opened the top crease of the yellow envelope with the blade of my scissors and carefully pulled out the matching card. Inside the card was a string of pearls, traditionally knotted and missing a clasp, draped from side to side. I lifted them to read the note and learned they had belonged to her grandmother, May, who was also an artist. Shava wrote that she had been wanting to do something with the strand for "quite some time" but decided I should have it because my pearl piece "feels so right." She also told me how excited she was to send them all the way across the country to "land in [my] hands." I was just stunned and I couldn't believe what I was holding: such a precious gift, now given twice.



Thanks for reading.

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