Sea Bean Sentiment

know what this is?
"it's a symbol of my individuality and belief in personal freedom."

my granddaddy made this bracelet for me out of sea beans. since he had a cabin on the gulf coast, they were readily available for his collection. he then shined 'em up pretty for jewelry like this. back in his youth he was a shoes and accessories designer and had his own store. pretty pretty pretty pretty cool.

details of the bracelet show a feminine touch with the ribbon attached, even closer detail shows my grandmama's careful ribbon trimming. to this day i never leave a tied ribbon without the little cutouts on the ends. "that way it's finished," she used to say. it's a compulsion. it's unavoidable.

my grandparents taught me a million trillion beautiful things.

like always inscribe books you give as gifts.
like bite your tongue, don't be ugly.
like poetry.
like how to plait.
like how to fix stuff yourself.
like how men can cry and women can lead.
like how to honor people on their birthdays with a song.
like the peace that can be had in just holding hands.
like how poverty is never reason enough to not give a gift.
like always write thank you notes.
like self-expression is exciting and nothing to be shy or embarrassed about.
like how to spot and respect well-made clothing, shoes and jewelry.
like journaling.
like traveling and going and adventuring as much as possible, no matter how old you are, or if it hurts your legs/hands/feet/heart.
like how to put others' welfare before your own.
like how to keep a garden.
like how to love and respect animals.
like photography.
like how fun it is to collect.
like being out-of-doors as the place to be.
like how to butter the edges of a pop tart first, and then a little on the frosting.

that love hurts.
that beauty hurts.
and that gain and loss can be simultaneous.