This earring and ring was given to me by my grandparents when I was born. In Bangladesh it is a tradition to gift a baby girl with gold. This tradition is mainly carried out so the newborn has a way to always remember where she came from. My parents and I arrived in USA December 2006; with us we had 8 luggage full of clothes and a few items which reminded us of home. When I walked out of JFK, wearing this ring and earring, I did not know that I wouldn’t see my grandparents for eight consecutive years; and I certainly did not know my family and I would move houses five times upon arriving. When I look at these two jewelry, I can see the struggle my family and I went through after we arrived in the US. I can physically see the stress of moving houses, my ring wasn’t bent like this before, and I had both of my earrings. I remember how sometimes my mom would cry and want to go back because she would lose hope. I also remember the days when my dad worked both day and night continuously to earn money for us. During those hard times, these jewelries kept me sane, knowing that my family was still out there waiting for us and praying for us.

– Riana

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