I know I'm not in alone in having all of the most complex feelings right now and sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in the chaos. In those moments, I remember the people that I love and am connected to. That can bring me back to a place of feeling hopeful. So with this piece, to learn about a relationship between a Mother and a Daughter, to learn about the way that someone chose to live their life, to feel invited into some of the deepest places, truly was such an honor. I notice that I use that word often with pieces this deep, but it just IS the best one I know.

There were a few pieces that had been inherited as Myonghee passed and it was this emerald ring that started the whole conversation with her beautiful daughter Soyona and I. It was a little unclear as to what to do with it, keep it "as is" even if wasn't quite her style? Or, reinvent it utilizing some of the pieces and create a new story? The latter. And it should be a tribute to the bright, constantly dancing, piano playing, golf obsessed, and loving soul that was Mom (Mommy).

Myonghee's (or Theresa as she was also known) life began in Seoul Korea in 1953 and she migrated to the US with her family in 1974. She was described to me as someone who loved beautiful things and was the person always buying flowers for other people. She had a big presence and said what was on her mind. "Her excitement for life was so apparent, especially when she was doing the things she loved the most..."

So, where to start? Well at the beginning of course. It felt like we should pull threads from Korean heritage. As I started to look into some of the symbolism in Korean culture, one day I stumbled into the exquisite world of Korean roof tiles. I know, at first read you're probably thinking, "What?" Bear with me. These detailed and one of a kind pieces were the way that people might demonstrate who lived in, or what was important to the people living inside a home. Each pattern had a message of its own. There were patterns, for instance, that symbolized the prestigious status of a person. There were patterns that wish to bring luck and protect oneself from bad spirits. It seemed fitting that since she was the person always bringing flowers, that we should use that to represent her. Flowers were symbols of beauty, splendor, magnificence and prosperity. (Below, you'll see a picture of the one that we chose for inspiration, a lotus.)

And so, I'll end this with a quote shared from one of her journals " Love one another and enjoy every moment of your life!" That hits especially close to home these days doesn't it?

14K Rose Gold. Diamond. Emerald. Tsavorite garnet (one of her birthstones)