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I have the worst memory. The major milestones stick in my mind, but the little details have faded away. However, I remember my college graduation like it was yesterday. I remember exactly what I wore – the new cream-colored dress, beautiful flats, my black cap and gown, and the burgundy and gold cords I earned for graduating with honors.
We were supposed to walk across the stage under sunny skies, but it rained. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but the celebration of the hard work and dedication of the last four years. The significance of being the first in my family to graduate from college, let alone the first ever in my extended family to major in science. And I even had my first job, a science job, lined up. I was beyond excited for the future.
That’s what makes 2020 so heartbreaking for me. You see, my oldest daughter Madison – one-half of Charliemadison – is a college senior; Class of 2020. She’s finishing up her last semester, quarantined in her college house with four of her ride-or-die girlfriends.
They were supposed to enjoy their last few months with their sorority sisters, wrapping up their capstone classes, planning job interviews, and living the last carefree days before they took on the responsibilities of adulthood (and student loans). But that is not their reality.
And there are so many other college and high school seniors that are missing out on what they dreamed for their last months before graduation. It breaks my heart.
I started thinking about what I could create for them - something with a special message - a graduation gift just for the Class of 2020. And so, the New Beginnings Bracelet came to life! My daughter Madison and her sweet friends were the inspiration behind this bracelet.
I hoped something small, yet so full of meaning, would remind them that this is just a small step in their journey. That although this incredible milestone in their life isn’t exactly as they had imagined, it is not diminished just because they don’t get to walk across a stage. Their accomplishments over the past four years are significant and important. And what they do after they leave their college town is what molds and shapes their future.
The New Beginnings Bracelet is made exclusively of Moonstone gems – cream and gray to be exact. I chose this stone because the meaning behind it is pretty magical and is perfect for all our seniors heading out into the world.
Moonstone is known as a stone of new beginnings – helping to ease your transition into a new chapter of life and accept that change is a natural part of your journey. It’s a wonderful confidence booster and helps ease the stress and fear that come with new experiences.
The New Beginnings Bracelet comes ready to gift or send to your favorite graduate – slipped inside a blue linen gift bag, nestled inside our signature gift box along with a card and this special message just for the Class of 2020:
A MESSAGE FOR OUR 2020 GRADUATES
There are a lot of things that the class of 2020 will not be able to do. You will not attend a graduation ceremony with your classmates. You will not go to spring formal or prom.
You won’t experience the last day of class or have the opportunity to thank your favorite professor for believing in you. All of these cherished moments will be missed, so that everyone can be safe.
We’ve had to sacrifice family gatherings, hugs, and goodbyes. We’ve postponed concerts, trips to amusement parks, planned vacations, and sporting events. We missed weddings, birthdays, anniversaries. We missed all of those moments so we could be safe.
But there are many things you had the opportunity to do. You had the opportunity to go to high school or college. You had the opportunity to make new friends, cheer on your school’s team, or maybe even fall in love!
When you look at life in the rear view, you see all of those little moments, stitched together – creating a story filled with opportunities, lessons, and epic wins. Those are the things you can be grateful for.
Your life, the lives of your loved ones, and the lives of people you have never met have been altered by something you can’t see. There is no price tag that can be placed on human life. There just isn’t….
Yet the class of 2020 will be like no other. You have a front-row seat at the steps of history. The past few months have altered your reality and shaped an uneasy and unpredictable future.
However, you will prevail. You will fly. And you will blaze a trail like no other!
"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
The New Beginnings Bracelet is available in our shop for a limited time. We are happy to mail your gift right to your graduate and include your heartfelt message on a hand-written note. Be sure to let us know what you’d like your note to say by leaving your message in the Notes box during checkout – we’ll pack up your gift with extra love and send it out to your favorite graduate.
Cheers to the Class of 2020! May they always remember how much they’re loved!
