Today I went thrift shopping, as I often like to do.  I was taking my time and carefully looking at all of the jewelry underneath the glass, when I noticed a vintage gold owl necklace with amber beads for eyes.  I thought it was the most intriguing  piece of jewelry.  I love jewelry, clothing, furniture that is definitely vintage, but also has modern lines, colors, and patterns or works well with more modern clothing. 

As I looked at the necklace closer, my eye caught another necklace beside it.  It too was an owl.  Now I was intrigued and really wanted to see how many owl necklaces there were beneath that glass, thus the hunt began. I believe there ended up being six or seven.  Then the woman behind the counter pulled out a small plastic box with more owl pendants and necklaces. Each one was unique and special.  Some were small, some were large, some were dainty, while others were bulky.  There were some that were more eclectic and odd looking and others were more conventional.  

 Another woman who was shopping in the store, walked up beside me and looked at the owls with me.  She said quietly, with a respectful tone, "It's kind of sad sometimes when you know someone died and now we're looking at their things". It then occurred to me that I was so focused on the colors, the lines, the uniqueness and expression of each one, I failed to think about their story. I suppose someone could have just decided to give up on their massive collection of owls, but it seems unlikely.  Her words made me really appreciate the true meaning of "vintage" and why vintage things are so special and unique. I decided to buy the first owl necklace that had caught my eye.

 Every vintage item holds a story of it's own.  We don't always know the history of an item, all of the people who owned it, where they got it, all of the places they may have traveled, so we have to create it in our minds.  When I look at this beautiful piece of jewelry, I wonder who wore it.  I wonder what kind of person she was.  I wonder what happened.  I look at it with pride, because I am carrying on this owl's story, and I realize I must do it with care. 




The owl has a story to tell.