A semi-charmed kind of life

I just finished watching The Lovely Bones, which is a movie based on a book I read quite a few years ago. Both the book and the movie are excellent (but somewhat disturbing, as it's about a 14 year old girl named Susie who is raped and murdered by a neighbor). One of the images that comes into play in the movie is Susie's charm bracelet. She was wearing it when she was murdered and the murderer keeps it as a trophy of sorts. I remember from the book that the charm bracelet was very important to Susie. It made me think about my charm bracelets. Yes, there is an "s" on the end of that. I have 2 charm bracelets. I don't wear them very often, but each charm holds a special meaning to me, just like they did to Susie. Some charms have more than one memory attached. Which makes them even more special.

The first bracelet has the most charms on it. It's actually completely full! The first charm is a worm with glasses sitting on a book. Yep- a bookworm. That's me! Next is a Celtic knot. I got to spend some time in Scotland in college and that reminds me of that time. A square that says "made in USA". Duh. A jack o'lantern. This has 2 meanings. I love Halloween. And my dad has always called me punkin. A Christmas tree. The bracelet itself was a Christmas gift and this charm was already attached. A lizard. This one, I'm not sure about. I think from all of our trips to the Bahamas, where the lizards are everywhere. A hand doing I love you in sign language. My parents and I have always done this to each other, especially if we are driving away. A clover, for all the fun St.Patty's Days down in 5 Points. A bottle of wine. Again, duh. Scales, which are both my astrological sign (Libra) and my job (scales of justice). A frog with a crown. Because sometimes you have to kiss some frogs to find a prince. A palm tree for our trips to the Bahamas. A shopping bag, although I don't like to shop as much as I used to. A beautiful cross, for my faith. A pair of tap shoes- I danced all while growing up. A baseball for my favorite sport. A flip-flop for my favorite shoes. A heart that says bridesmaid. I've been in a lot of weddings. An R for my last name. A treble clef- I played the piano and took voice lessons all throughout high school. A kitten- my parents and I have always had cats. A fish. Perhaps for snorkeling in the Bahamas? A fortune cookie. I love Chinese food! A sun hat for the Carolina Cup. 2002- the year I graduated from law school (my last graduation ever!!). A rabbit. One year for Easter, the Easter Bunny brought us real bunnies!! A sand dollar for family beach trips. A little devil- I thought it was cute! A cheerleader- all 4 years of high school and 1 year of college, thank you very much. A snowflake for the few times it snows here in SC. A pig for my goddog. I know, that sounds weird. But Pig is her nickname! A graduation cap- that one was for high school. A dolphin from when my parents and I went swimming with them. And a Confederate flag. Because I am a southern girl!!

The second bracelet has slightly less charms on it, but it's still got a lot of them! The first is a pair of handcuffs. I used to be a prosecutor and I dated a cop. Enough said. Next is the Empire State Building, to symbolize all of my trips to NYC throughout the years. A Gamecock, well, because I am a Gamecock fan. A Venetian punter's shirt from the last time I went to Vegas and stayed at the Venetian. Sadly, not because I've been to Venice. A lighthouse. Which reminds me of Cape Cod. Movie tickets- I LOVE going to the movies. A cranberry bogger- again to remind me of Cape Cod. A martini/cosmopolitan glass for many a girls night out. Sunglasses because I love to lay out. The Twin Towers. I remember going to the top of one of the Towers as a child. A sombrero for my love of Mexican food. A single rose. My high school boyfriend played soccer. During half time of one of the games, the guys got roses to give to their moms. Boyfriend ran up to give his to me! A flamingo. During one of our trips to the Bahamas, my parents and I got to see a rescue flamingo who didn't eat shrimp. So he was completely white! Amazing. An airplane because I love to travel. A crown- I am a princess after all! A horse. My parents and I went horseback riding on a beach in Texas. My horse decided to throw me. Amazingly, it didn't create a fear of horses and I've been horseback riding a few times since. A skier. Ive been skiing only a few times, but have always really liked it. I actually wish I could ski more often so I could be better at it. A bird talon- for the Gamecocks. And Chinese letters. I was fortunate enough to get to go to China a few years ago.

And those are my charms!