I’ll be the first to admit it — I am very forgetful. I try to write things down or make notes and reminders in my phone, but with how quickly life seems to be moving, I am bound to forget a thing or two.
But, amid life’s chaos, there’s one constant: the weight of two necklaces draped around my neck, each a link to a family legacy. Thanks to the fact that I almost never take them off, they have become a staple in my life. Each necklace was passed down from loved ones and will one day become my family heirlooms.
An heirloom, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations.
Necklace number one is a cross made up of 11 tiny deep blue stones set in gold metal and dangling from a thin gold chain. Before it was passed to me, it belonged to my dad’s aunt, Irma, whom we call “Tía Lely.” She gifted it to me recently, and when I called her to talk about it, she told me it had been one of her favorite pieces in her jewelry collection.
After my maternal great-grandma, Vera, nicknamed “Great Abba,” died, her daughter — my grandma — distributed her jewelry among all of Vera’s great-grandchildren.
I was lucky enough to receive a ring and a pair of earrings. Her birthstone was opal, so all of her jewelry was made of the beautiful, rainbow-flecked gemstone.
The second necklace is home to one of my Great Abba’s many rings. The ring is tiny — too big for my pinky but too small for my ring finger — so, I keep it on the chain instead. It’s gold too, with a small round opal held in place by eight tiny prongs.
When I catch my reflection in the mirror, I recognize that these necklaces aren’t just sparkly adornments; they’re near-permanent reminders of the strength, wisdom and love of the women before me. In every glance, I carry their laughter warmth and spirit.
In the daily dance of forgetfulness, these necklaces are unwavering, reminding me of the line of amazing humans who have come before me. It is their love that is with me always — a legacy I proudly wear around my neck.
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Contact Marley Penagos via email: marley.penagos@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @marleypenagos
