For the Love of Wanda

Part One

There is just no other way to say it….I LOVED my Mom...deeply.

She was my best friend, the matriarch of our close-knit extended family of 14 (uncles, aunts, cousins), and a heck of a lot of fun. Oh, in case I forgot to mention it, our family is Polish. So, think about the family dynamics in the “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” movie franchise, replace “Polish” with “Greek” and a red and white flag with an eagle on it with the blue and the white Greek flag and you’ve got the picture of our family life.  Christmas Eve was an annual marathon event.

 In addition to loving our family, my mom, Wanda, also loved her jewels. Towards the end of her life, as she was becoming more reflective about the legacy she would leave to her children, she would often bring out her collection of jewelry that she kept in a carpet bag in a bedroom closet.  She would carefully bring out each item and, together, we would admire it.  It was in those discussions, describing the jewelry and the reasons that she kept it, that so much of her pride in our family’s history and heritage emerged.

Part Two

Following on, I took the remaining pieces in Wanda’s collection and decided to work with Stacey to commission two final pieces that would speak to her enduring legacy. 

The pieces came out better than I ever could have imagined. We used red gems from one of Wanda’s rings and the gold from her necklaces to create a one-of-a-kind pendant…red and white with regal beveling that bespoke of the Polish flag and her matriarchal and regal nature. In addition, I took the remaining red stones from her rings to create earrings to accompany the pendant. Stacey’s input on the projects was invaluable.

To recap, in a sad part of my life, grieving for my mother, I had a lot of content in the assortment of things left behind that didn’t have any real value to me or my family.  Working with Stacey and her team helped me create real value out of the content.  These are pieces that the women in my family (sisters, in-laws, nieces) can wear and remember her.   When I wear the pendant, I frequently touch it and see my mom in all her variety -- laughing, hugging, crying or telling a joke.  Wanda lives on!

Thank you InBloom!