Beads Are For Friends

The first time Bonnie and I met must've been pretty unmemorable. We attended the same grade school, even had a class together, but we can't remember so much as a conversation until the 7th grade. Our first after school hangouts were algebra-centric, quiz notes and things, but I quickly realized two things about Bonnie:

a) She was super nice.

b) She had a great house.

And I'm talking great house. She had carpets (not possible on my floors, due to allergies), cool collectibles on her shelves, and room to breathe. It was the kind of place where we could relax, spread our school books on the stone coffee table in the center of the living room and get work done, or awkwardly mimic choreography without knocking into stuff (C'mon, you so did it, too). Plus, her parents were cool and allowed friends over, as long as we didn't encroach on scheduled family time.

It started with handmade birthday cards. True to personality, Bonnie created her cards weeks before our gift exchanging ceremonies in her living room. I'd plan for hours, then pull all-nighters to create them before the deadline.

One day, Bonnie began making bracelets. The originals were multi-colored and nostalgically childlike, and the jewelry evolved with our increasingly adult tastes. She experimented with various charms, wire, hemp, clasps and closures. Bonnie gave me a series of blue (the color of our beloved ocean) necklaces and bracelets that I frequently wear.

Wearing handmade jewelry keeps the story of our friendship alive. I rub the follow your heart charm when I'm nervous, and I'm reminded of Bonnie's positivity. I love telling people my best friend made them.

A lot has changed over the years, but our tradition of exchanging gifts in Bonnie's living room is still going strong. Nowadays, we are too busy to hang out everyday, or even every week, but she surprised me recently with the bracelet pictured above to show she was thinking of me. And by wearing her handmades, I hope it shows I love her, too.