Love, loss and what we wear

My lovely and local co-blogger, Jacquie, and I went to a short  5-woman play downtown a few weeks back, titled "Love, Loss and What I Wore," written by Nora and Delia Ephron, and based on a 1995 book of the same name by IIene Beckerman.

It was short and sweet and often funny -- sometimes to the point of an actual lol. There were more poignant moments, I may have teared up at one point, and overall it was a very enjoyable way to spend an early Sunday evening. It will not go down as one of the best performances I've ever seen, but I have thought about it -- its theme and various contents -- more than once since exiting the theater. (And not only when I was using the program to wipe off guacamole that got on "what I wore" to Chipotle with the kids because there was no other suitable napkin-like item in the car....)

During the performance the 5 women shared the events and memories surrounding various items of clothing, from first bras, to wedding dresses, to T-shirts that they couldn't let go of because they were so reminiscent of the boyfriend who got away. Via fashion faux pas, power suits, and cavernous purses we saw into the lives and dreams of these women.

Fast forward to the clothes swap I had at my house a few Sundays later, my dining room transformed into a second-hand store front... Twelve women combing through one another's castoffs looking for  suitable exchanges.  It was great fun, and when someone scored something they particularly liked, it was joyful for both the new and original owner. It feels great to have that rarely-used item go to a new home where the owner is excited about it, and on whom it looks much better than it ever did on you. I heard various explanations from people about when and where and why they bought a specific item that they were now offering up; and I like knowing that my friend bought the black J Crew dress that I now have for a wedding and only wore it that one time. (Score!) I kid.

Mt first pick was the necklace pictured below (because Jacquie laid claim to the jacket I was eyeing by putting it on and wearing it until it was her turn).

It's sterling silver and snowflake obsidian. You know how I love my stones, right? This one is a stone of purity, which brings balance and draws emotions to the surface; it's grounding and protective and helps to remove negative energy. And.... it used to be Katarina's.

Wow, can you say sun damage? Let's just look at the stone, k?

I actually didn't know who brought it to the swap until the next day, when I wore it while dropping off my youngest at school. I ran into Kati, and she said something like, "Oh, great, I'm so glad you ended up with that!" She then proceeded to tell me the story of this necklace.

She and her husband had recently wed in Greece, where she's originally from, but they were up in Mendocino County to hold a US reception for family and friends who didn't make it to the Grecian wedding.

The morning of the reception her helpful new husband offered to iron the gorgeous and beloved dress that she was to wear. I could tell from her description that it was a very special dress, one that made her feel beautiful and very much herself. One that had been worn in Greece and was perfect for the special day ahead. Helpful husband, as you may have guessed, somehow managed to burn that dress past the point of repair that morning, and there was poor Kati, in rural Mendocino, with nothing to wear.

Luckily one of the guests owned a small boutique not too far away and she managed to find a dress for the occasion. It was not an especially special dress, but it would do (and Kati looks amazing in everything she wears). It needed something at the neckline though, so the necklace above was secured and worn on this very momentous day.

Kati is still happily married, many years later, and she and her helpful husband have two beautiful sons.

So how lucky am I to have the stone above, passed on by my lovely friend Kati, to wear while loving and losing and living my life?