Pandora Fits My Life Perfectly

For my high school graduation I received many beads from my friends and family. They commemorate a very exciting and almost scary part of my life. It is funny how the Pandora craze of gift giving has caught on in our family. I only hoped to get the graduation cap bead for a gift and never thought I would receive all of these other precious ones. The beautiful beads have so much meaning in my life. Pandora beads seem to bring out thoughtfulness in everyone. The stories they tell are truly amazing.

I did receive the graduation cap bead from my aunt. I was so excited to open the gift. She wrote me a note with the bead telling me about what the bead should mean to me. It brought tears to my eyes. She wrote about how I should be excited about the prospect of a new and different life, living on my own but always knowing I have family to back me up in times of need. She wrote that graduation is a time of excitement and a time to celebrate all of my past accomplishments and look forward to the prospect of my upcoming ones. My aunt told me never to forget the values that I was brought up with. All of these things are wrapped in the tiny graduation cap bead she gave me.

My boyfriend gave me the blue ribbon bead for a graduation present. We both enter items in the Fair and he thought this was a funny way to commemorate our wins and losses. He said he remembers a couple years ago when we were showing dairy cattle at the State Fair in Milwaukee. He said he thought he had a better animal than mine but I ended up beating him in the class and winning a blue ribbon; while he received a pink ribbon. He couldn’t believe his girlfriend had beaten him. He said it was a traumatic incident and a little embarrassing, but he got over it very quickly. The blue ribbon and the fair will always also commemorate our first kiss. This exciting moment happened at a farewell dance at the State Fair after the show. All these memories are wrapped up in this bright colored bead.

My boyfriend also gave me two initial beads, one for his initial and one for mine. These letters add another new look to my bracelet. These are extremely charming beads because they don’t have anything in common with the other beads on my bracelet. He wanted the two of them to be represented together on my bracelet because he knows I wear it a lot and that the bracelet is important to me. The letters were to show his commitment to me. He also requested that I don’t put any beads in between the two initials, just like how no one should ever come between us. Once he joked with me about getting our names tattooed on each other’s backs in cursive letters. He had agreed to do it if I would also agree. I thought he was joking at first, but I guess he wasn’t in reality. Of course we never did this, and he said this bead on my bracelet was much less painful and not eternal. I was much happier with these beads than the tattoo. I will never get anyone’s name tattooed on my skin. I love the thoughtfulness he put into these two beads. I have never seen the letter beads on anyone’s bracelet before. It is so unique.

My other aunt bought me the car bead because I now have a car to drive. My parents bought me a used Grand Am car for a graduation gift. It was not the car of my choice, but I am happy to have the freedom that comes along with having my own car. I was able to choose from a couple of cars that my parents found in their price range. I no longer have to rely on others for rides. I already had one small breakdown. My tire went flat one day when I was driving home from a friend’s house. I learned how to change a tire fairly quickly, with the help of a stranger who happened to stop. The car bead represents a new chapter in my life that recently started; independence and also the headaches that come along with car ownership.

I received the cute hanging flip flop bead with the gem enclosed from my friend. My friend said the bead reminded her of my casual and nonchalant attitude. I always would attend school in t-shirts, jeans and flip flops. I don’t care what others think of me and I am typically ready for any situation in about ten minutes. I know my mother was not always happy with this part of me but she learned to deal with it because I did very well in school despite my outward appearance. A lot of my friends tried to be more like me, but it isn’t a common thing. Several of my classmates, including me, even wore flip flops in the winter with warm socks. They were my most comfortable shoes and I didn’t want to live without them, even if the shoes were supposedly made for summer. I even told my boyfriend that when I die I want to be buried in my pink polka dotted flip flops.

My Pandora fits my life and personality perfectly. It is a great conversation starter with others I don’t know. They love hearing the stories I have associated with each of the beads.

- Sandy H.