Jewelry runs in my blood. My great-grandfather and grandfather were jewelers. Continuing the tradition, three of my uncles are currently jewelers. Running a family business is usually looked at as an easy task since the children will just take over the shop one day. However, my uncles are immigrants from Iran. They had to create their own store from the foundation up. They came to the United States with not a penny to their names. Nevertheless, their passion and ambition couldn’t be extinguished. Gratefully, their jewelry store has been open and is thriving for 30 years.

My Iranian culture is very family orientated, so my uncles are like fathers to me. Therefore, I get jewelry presents all the time. One gift I wear consistently is my hearts bracelet. Laying adjacent to it is my gold bracelet from my grandfather’s past jewelry store in Iran. My gold bracelet reminds me of the religious persecution my family faced before they escaped to America. However, with my heart bracelet sitting right next to it, I remember to stop dwelling in the past. Get up and push forward, I think, just like my uncles did with their jewelry store. These two bracelets shape the way I try to live my life: as a phoenix rising from the ashes. 

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant