Call & Response

The Call: Precious Metal — Cheryl

Mom had a yellow gold charm bracelet. I loved to open the drawer of her dresser and take the lid off of each square, white or cream-colored box to reveal necklaces, bracelets, earrings and pins. Most had been gifts from my father. I knew exactly which box contained the charm bracelet. I’d pull it out and study each charm, in turn. My favorite was the calendar. It was like a page from the wall, with “November” and “1964” carved across the top, and a diamond placed in the square for “7”: Mom and Dad’s wedding day.

When we were in high school, my sister and I asked our parents for charm bracelets (and maybe a few charms to get us started). Maureen wanted gold; I asked for sterling silver. It wasn’t that I liked the metal better. It was less expensive, and there were infinitely more sterling silver charms than gold in the Service Merchandise catalog. Mom and Dad bought me the exact bracelet I had picked from the wish book: the one with the little hearts. My sister got a gold one Mom had been keeping for her for years.

The Response — Jessica

I think every bit of silver in my home came from my wedding. Frames, trays, serving spoons and salt and pepper shakers. I can pull it all out in a few years when we celebrate our silver anniversary.