August 8 – Wear Your Mother's Jewelry Day

nPosted on August 8, 2019

Key points

nA woman named Barbara J. Feldman started this holiday on her own mother’s birthday – a way of honoring her mom and also of sharing with others how her mother’s jewelry box has helped her cope with her mother’s illness and death.

nYou see, Feldman’s mom had dementia, a disease that slowly attacks a very old person’s brain. (It also rarely occurs in the not-so “very old.”) My own mother had dementia, too, and I have to tell you, that’s a hard thing. Caring for her and then learning to reach out and get help caring for her was full of hard work and trials, but also full of lessons and rewards.

nFeldman says this about her mother’s jewelry box:

n“Many of these items were given to Mom with love. Others she chose because she loved them. By wearing them, I’m continuing that chain of love.”

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nAfter her mother died, Feldman started cleaning, repairing, and resizing the jewelry pieces so that she could wear them. I know that it was meaningful for my daughters, sister, and niece to pore over my mother’s jewelry box, too – and it’s definitely not the monetary value of the jewelry that’s most important, but rather the sentimental value!
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nBy the way, when looking at my own mother’s jewelry box, I also connected with my father, because he dearly loved to buy her jewelry that she liked. They both preferred turquoise and silver over diamonds and gold.
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nIf you have family heirlooms collecting dust in the corners of your closet or locked away in safe deposit boxes, consider getting them out and using or wearing them!
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