I’ve been feeling a bit reflective lately. Partly because we are approaching the end of this calendar year, which brought a pandemic and so many other changes in our world. And partly because I celebrated one of those “milestone” birthdays this year . . . I turned fifty, y’all!

As I looked back on photographs taken during the year, I paused over the photo taken at my 50th birthday dinner. The necklace I wore was one that I received on my sixth birthday. My mom had taken six pearls from the strand she wore on her wedding day and had it made into a six-pearl necklace for me.