It took me approximately 12 seconds to register what I saw lying on the bathroom floor—my jade bracelet broken into four separate pieces. At first, I thought I was looking at a surreal photograph or having a mean joke played on me.
But once I realized my most beloved piece of jewelry had, in fact, flown out of my hand and now seized from being intact, a 2 a.m. nuclear f-bomb rattled the walls.
Then came the tears... And for any of you Dane Cook fans out there, yes, I watched myself cry in the mirror, becoming more enthralled and convinced I should become an actress with every drop of a tear.
I'm aware of how melodramatic and possibly even superficial I sound, but you must understand what this bracelet meant to me. A couple summers ago on a mother-daughter trip to Beijing, my mom bought it for me as a graduation gift at a jade factory we visited. It fit snugly on my wrist with the perfect balance of dark green and opaque white.
Jade holds great significance in Chinese culture, and more than a fashion accessory filled with memories, it was a reminder of my ethnic identity. The only word I can use to describe the bracelet is irreplaceable.
Many women who wear them never take them off; my own grandma has steadily worn hers for decades now. But as a negligent and unruly half-member of the Asian Women's Club, I took mine off and left it around on a daily basis.
But this time, I was actually trying to be responsible by taking the bracelet off so that it wouldn't be covered in the lotion I was putting on my arms. Unwisely, I already had the stuff on my hands when trying to slip it off my wrist, hence its fling to the ground. Damn you, Jergens!
Then on my way to class the next morning, I reluctantly called my mom to tell her of the misfortune. Secretly I hoped she would be mad at me in order to face the punishment I felt I deserved. That or tell me what an ugly piece of crap she thought the bracelet was in the first place.
But instead I got, ""I'm so sorry honey, I know how much that meant to you. It will always symbolize our trip to China together, and your graduation, and our relationship and..."" Her five-minute plummet into all it represented sent me blubbering down Park Street.
So for that, I hope you understand my excessive attachment. To you it might seem like nothing, but think of it like this. Everybody has their own jade bracelet in life—a rusting '94 Taurus, a great grandfather's antique pipe from WWI, a favorite Barbie whose hair you later set ablaze—that others may find insignificant.
My wrist has felt naked all week, but I've licked my wounds for long enough now. It's true, you never know what you have till it's gone. So whether it's a piece of jewelry, a loved one or a bald, half-melted doll you renamed Chester, treasure them while you still can.
Things break, stuff gets lost and accidents happen. Just remember to stay away from lotion in the meantime; muster up the courage to resist that wonderful cherry-almond scent you want to grace your skin with. Mark my words, people—moisturizing can be a dangerous, dangerous thing.
Let Julia know about things you have lost or childhood toys you may have mutilated at shiplett@wisc.edu.
