Every great story has a conflict and a lesson. We all know how to tell our stories. The part we skip is the lesson. The stories are personal, different, colorful, and full of perspective. That’s where growth begins.
I’m a successful businesswoman. I never earned a college degree. I’m one of 14 kids. I built a career anyway. It’s time to tell my stories and share the lessons that shaped me. If you take away a nugget or two, that’s a win.
Earrings, Part 1
October 28, 2011. New England. I dressed as Martha Stewart for my friend’s Halloween party. I was going for first prize—again. My costume had it all. An ankle monitor. Handcuffs. A belt made of wooden spoons. Martha’s greatest hits.
On the way to the party, snow started falling. My friend called. She had already lost power. Six inches of snow covered her yard. We turned around. Trees were crashing. I closed my eyes and thought Godzilla was stomping through the woods. We made it home—barely. The power was out. The next morning, we woke to 18 downed trees and 18 inches of snow.
My husband grabbed his chainsaw. I started hauling brush. A neighbor stopped by. “Do you always wear diamond earrings when hauling brush?” he asked. I laughed. They were a gift from my husband for our 25th anniversary. I wore them all the time.
Later that night, I noticed only one earring in my ear. I had been all over the yard. I knew I wouldn’t find it.
Then Came Spring
Spring cleanup came. I was in the yard with my daughter. She was on her hands and knees. I thought she was avoiding work. I asked what she was doing.
“Looking for your earring,” she said.
I laughed. “If you find it, the pair is yours.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yup,” I said. That earring had been sitting in my jewelry box long enough.
One cold, rainy day in April, she rented a metal detector. She and her friends searched for hours. They found some lug nuts and a spark plug. No earring. I felt a little bad.
That night they looked online for ideas. Google said to place the matching earring in the grass and shine a flashlight over it. They followed the advice.
They found the earring.
She texted me a photo of the pair. “Mom, how serious were you when you said I could have them?”
“I’m a woman of my word,” I replied.
She smiled in the next text. The picture said everything.
That day taught me more than I expected. When the motivation is real, people get creative. My daughter didn’t wait to be asked. She turned a long shot into a solved problem because she cared. I had made a promise in passing, but she held me to it, and I honored it. The earrings were valuable, but what stayed with me was the story we created together. And yes, next time I’m hauling brush, I’ll leave the diamonds inside.
