“Passed Down With Love”
Holding back tears, I cradled the jewelry that once belonged to my mother. As I looked at her earrings, memories rushed in, our second ear piercings we got together, a day that once felt ordinary but now feels priceless. Memories that could not be forsaken.

All I had left were memories. I remembered a trip to Canada, where my father bought her the turquoise stud earrings I now held so tightly. I used to watch her wear them and wish they would one day be mine, never imagining it would happen like this, standing here after she was gone, sorting through her jewelry and choosing what to keep. It was the saddest moment of my life.

I was grieving my best friend while carrying new life inside me. Sadness for my mom, joy for my baby, and fear that I wouldn’t know how to be a good mother without her guidance overwhelmed me all at once.

As I chose the pieces I loved most, it struck me: in six months, I would have a daughter. We would make our own memories. I wanted her to have something that connected her to the grandmother she would never meet.

So, I kept the turquoise earrings. I wore them until the day my daughter’s ears were pierced. The first pair I placed in her ears were those same turquoise studs.

Passing them down filled me with pride. One day, I’ll tell her how they belonged to her grandmother, how I wore them too, and how they were given with so much love. My hope is that she will continue the legacy, passing down not just earrings, but the love they carry.

– EH

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant