My Grandma is a very eclectic person, who from a young age has had a love for fashion, Paris, and thrift stores- leading to some interesting birthday gifts over the years.  From the day I could talk I was told to “Smile and say thank you” to every paper-wrapped vintage bowl, secondhand edition of an 80’s Vogue, or dress that was three sizes too big but caught her eye at a garage sale. Over time these offbeat gifts found their place in a cardboard box aptly named “The Thrift Shop Box,” in which I found the charm bracelet and picture shown above. The picture is of my grandma’s sister, Jane Walsh, from whom I get my middle name, and the bracelet is hers from middle school. My Grandma and Aunt Jane got into a serious fight a few years ago and haven’t spoken since. It’s probably our biggest family drama. When my grandma gave me the bracelet in 2019, she told me that she’d bought the Eiffel Tower charm for Aunt Jane to symbolize their childhood promise to live in Paris together someday. 
Today, Paris is still a part of my Grandma's life- she visits twice a year and is fluent in French.
As kids, my sister and I made that same promise my grandma and Aunt Jane did. This bracelet, and the associated memories, make me think about my future relationship with my sister and how no matter what happens in life we will always have shared memories, like careless promises made by little girls. I know that someday my grandma and Aunt Jane will overcome their differences, maybe even in Paris.

– DS

Relationship:  unknown unknown