What Matters Most

Found Again with new friends who walk to end breast cancer

For the month of October, 2017, we are focusing on What Matters Most.  One of the reasons why I love what I do so much is that Waxing Poetic jewelry can be a catalyst for connection.  These small pieces carry such meaning… we choose them for a reason… and that emotional energy and intention feels somehow contained in the reminder that is the physical piece of jewelry.

So, in the wearing, in the giving, we get to discover this all over again.  We are truly Waxing Poetic; becoming more poetic, seeing the world through our own lens, and connecting and interpreting it along the way.

There are a lot of things that matter, and we all know, deep down, and not so deep down, that perhaps the things that matter most are not “things” at all, but each other.  We Matter Most, all of us, and in seeing ourselves in each other, our common concerns and cares, and wearing reminders of this awareness, we can receive one of the most treasured “gifts” of a Waxing Poetic piece. I wanted to share with you a day that mattered to me for this very reason.  I was wearing my Found Again Star pendant recently in our new Waxing Poetic flagship experience at The Shopkeepers in Santa Barbara, and became connected through a friend (and fellow survivor) with a group of women who chose the same pendant as a reminder of something that mattered to them – completing a walk for breast cancer awareness.

Having gone through treatment and shared this journey on the other side with some friends and family also, this cause is on my mind. Constantly. There isn’t a day that goes by that I am not somehow reminded of my journey though cancer, of friends that have beat it, of friends that are at some place on their journeys, and of some that have lost theirs.

As a cause that is in my heart and that I know is very important to my coworkers here at Waxing Poetic, we are honored to be supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation this month with a percentage of all sales being donated to find an end to this cancer that affects 1 in 8 women each year.

Thanks for helping us, thanks for being a fellow traveler with us.  And now, the short story of what happened that day…

Meet Anne, Laura, Diana, Amy, Katie, Martha, Cheryl and Jenny. These incredible, beautiful women completed the Avon39 walk to end Breast Cancer in Santa Barbara last month, and stopped by our Waxing Poetic flagship store at The Shopkeepers the day after (what I am calling the Found Again day).  One of the women, Diana, started waking after her breast cancer experience 7 years ago. She and her husband Declan have fundraisers and support the whole team (called the Double D’s) hosting group events at Harp and Fiddle in Park Ridge, IL, and Casey’s in New Buffalo MI.

I was so blessed that I was there that day, as we connected and shared stories and laughs. It was as if I had known these ladies since childhood – an instant familiarity, and lots of appreciation and sharing.

Here I am with my friend and fellow survivor / thriver Ann on the left, and the Double D’s

The ladies already knew Waxing Poetic, so they were excited to come visit and see the whole line in our new space.  They were on a mission, looking for a “memory” charm or pendant to mark the completion of this walk together, and they each individually, and then as a group, chose the Found Again Star Pendant. When we realized that it was the same pendant I was wearing that very day, we couldn’t believe the coincidence (as many of our customers know, we have a lot of different styles to choose from)!

So, if these lovely ladies will have me, I can consider myself a satellite now, a remote-yet-connected traveler on this journey, sharing the same star, Found Again.

Found Again Pendant with Heart's Content Cross on a Pipin Necklace

When I wear this pendant now, I am reminded of the light and beauty of these women, and myself too… despite (and because of) everything we have been through, and everything we do that is brave and right and good.  This pendant has taken on new meaning for me, and every time I wear it, I will think of this day.

What I learned from these amazing women: Beauty is a by-product of living life to its fullest expression.  Thanks to Anne, Diana and the ladies for making my day and being such an inspiration.

Sending a big hug and always good thoughts and inner beauty and peace to everyone in the journey through breast cancer, and to all of us on the walk in this constellation of Life. Learn more about the Avon 39 walks planned in Santa Barbara for next September, 2018. Learn more about our October give-back organization, the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Follow Waxing Poetic on Instagram @waxingpoetic Follow The Shopkeepers Santa Barbara @the.shopkeepers