Melissa Ramos' Keepsake

Melissa Ramos wrote a story about one of her keepsakes—a necklace her sister gave her when her grandfather died.

Melissa Ramos is a young writer who attends Heritage Middle School in Ringgold, Georgia. After my visit to Heritage earlier this year, Melissa sat down and crafted a story about one of her cherished keepsakes—a necklace.

I'm so impressed with young writers like Melissa. They have such a fresh way of looking at the world and a wonderful way with words and phrases. If there is one thing that I wish every young writer believed, it is simply this—You are so much better than you think you are!

I hope you enjoy Melissa's story, and I hope it inspires you to think about one of your own keepsakes. Where did it come from? Why is it special? What memories does it hold? Write the story of your keepsake on paper and share it with others. 

Melissa wrote about a necklace—a reminder of her grandfather's death and the kindness her sister extended to her. Here's Melissa's story titled, "Believe."

My family and I were in the car talking about how much fun we had at the beach. Our faces were as red as ripe tomatoes. You could still smell the salt water of the ocean.

My mom was driving which was very unusual. Then my dad, with a serious face, said he had something to tell us. I knew by the way he'd been acting that something was wrong—he wasn't about to tell us that we'd won the lottery. It only took him a minute to say one sentence, but it felt like an eternity.

"Your grandpa died this morning," he said.

Those five words quieted us all—as if the sentence took our voices away from us.

I couldn't believe what my dad had said. At that age, I'd never lost someone so important to me.

I don't remember crying when my dad told us the bad news. It just didn't register in my mind that I would never, ever see my grandpa again.

Three days later, which went as fast as a turtle crossing the world, we attended his funeral. That day was the day I understood that my grandpa was gone forever, and that he would not be coming back. I burst into tears.

My sister saw me and gave me a necklace. The necklace has a cross, a white pearl , and a circle inscribed with the word, "believe."

She told me each item on the necklace has a unique meaning. The cross means my grandpa is with God. The white pearl is going to wash my sadness away. And the little circle with the word, "believe," meant that everything was going to be okay—that I just need to trust that God has better plans than I do.

My sister always used to ask me: Do you want to make God laugh? Then tell  him your plans.

And that's how a simple five-dollar necklace became as valuable as a diamond to me. I wouldn't sell it for a million dollars!

—Melissa Ramos, Heritage Middle School

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Sale Price:$16.99 Original Price:$18.99

Thanks for sharing your beautiful story, Melissa. I hope you continue writing. Believe in yourself—you are already a great writer.

I hope that Melissa's story inspires you to share your stories behind your keepsakes. Give it a try. You are a better writer than you think. 

For more stories about keepsakes, check out the stories on this blog or pick up a copy of Project Keepsake. The last chapter of the book takes you step-by-step through the process of writing your own keepsake story. 

Anita's Pearl Necklace

After reading Anita Thornton's keepsake story, I found myself back in time in my own childhood. My family wasn't poor, but we were part of the single-income, struggling lower middle class for a while. My brother, sister, and I shared a small bedroom in a neighborhood full of tiny dwellings on streets with names like McArthur, Arnold, Diggs, and Tinker. For several years, my parents shared one car—an old Ford sedan that refused to crank sometimes. The three of us walked to school with lunch boxes (and brown paper sacks) containing cheap sandwiches made from white Sunbeam bread and a layer of peanut butter or a slice of bologna.  We wore faded, hand-me-down clothes passed to us from our older cousins.

For Anita Thornton, a strand of pearls contains powerful memories.

And we seldom ate out because eating out was an expensive endeavor. But at the end of football season every year, my family would attend a banquet at a place called the Hof-Brau on North Davis Drive. It was one of those restaurants where the staff would grill you a juicy steak or a hamburger while you waited and serve it to you with a baked potato. I remember one glass display case full of jiggling jello squares in red, green, and yellow—I was in heaven. For me, going to the Hof-Brau was like fine dining at Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Like Anita, I often reflect on my parents' many sacrifices while they saved up pennies, nickels, and dimes to raise the three of us hooligans and send us to college. And so, I love Anita's story about the strand of pearls.

I read one time that it can take an oyster up to twenty years to form a pearl—about the same amount of time it takes to raise a child. And so, the gift Anita's mom gave her at graduation was simply perfection.

Enjoy Anita's story.

“An elegant strand of pearls holds powerful bittersweet memories for me.

My parents divorced as I finished fifth grade. My mom, in her early thirties, faced the daunting task of being primary caregiver and breadwinner for four children. She worked hard to provide our basic needs; but, there were rarely extras. It was always a source of pride for my mom that she was able to manage without any form of public assistance.

I attended elementary school in a rural community. I never noticed a dividing line between the haves and have nots. We may have all been have nots, or perhaps it just did not matter at that age.

Then, came high school. As my circle grew and I had more affluent friends, the difference became painfully obvious. My mom has told me she could remember me coming home mad because we were so poor.

For my college graduation, my mother gave me a beautiful pearl necklace. I wore the necklace proudly in my early career days. As trends go, pearls fell out of vogue, and I tucked my necklace away.

My mom passed away almost ten years ago. Recently, I came across the necklace. Instantly, memories flooded my mind... I thought about our hard times and being a parent now, and I recognize my mother’s sacrifice to give me such an expensive gift.

While I do not know the monetary value of my necklace, the memories and the love I feel when I place it on my neck are priceless.”

— Anita Thornton 2014

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Sale Price:$16.99 Original Price:$18.99

Anita Thornton is a native of Murray County, Georgia. She's worked at carpet king, Shaw Industries for over thirty years. She's an active community volunteer. And she's a writer—a really wonderful writer. 

To read other stories about keepsakes and the memories they hold, please purchase a signed copy of Project Keepsake. It's on sale now with no shipping and handling charges. And by the way, it's a great Christmas gift for a loved one, especially when paired with a keepsake.

And if you live in Northwest Georgia, buy from one of these small businesses—Dave & Pauli's Art Emporium in Dalton, Cottage Treasures in Ringgold, Blue Willow Antiques in Cave Spring, The Lighthouse in Calhoun, the Harris Arts Center in Calhoun, or A Gift of Season in Calhoun.

And as always, I know you have a keepsake. Please share your keepsake story with me. Everyone has a keepsake, and every keepsake has a story to tell. Keep storytelling alive, my friends.