If you’ve taken a long gaze at any of my photos, you’ve noticed that while my hair styles may change and my outfits may change as well, there has almost been one constant: I rarely wear jewelry. No, I don’t mean any strands of beads that come with the dress or top (such as here), but anything that’s shiny and usually goes around one’s ears, neck, or ring finger.
But it’s not as if I don’t own or have never owned any jewelry whatsoever. Many moons ago, I had a pair of stage jewelry, including silvery necklace and matching clip-on earrings, which have since dropped out of my possession somewhere. And I do still have a gold necklace I received as a gift during an Avon showing (you can see that necklace in this photo).
That necklace had been the only actual piece of jewelry in my possession… until a few weeks ago:
This is a picture of yours truly last weekend during a post-meeting dinner with members of a CD/TG support group. Get past the cute sweater, comfy belt, red hair, and bad teeth (please don’t look at my teeth), and you’ll notice a necklace around my neck. Yes, it does say something:
A while back after our group meeting, my good friend from the group, Jen, slyly but passively (or so I recall) asked if I owned any jewelry. I told her about owning only one necklace and once owning some clip-ons. That’s when she gave me this Lumièla necklace. If you’ve ever been to one of those Hallmark card & gift stores, you’ve probably seen these Lumièla laying necklaces on display, usually displaying a title (e.g. “mother,” “sister”), a charm (e.g. moon, star), an inspirational phrase… or a common name such as, well, “Allison.”
As I noted, my jewelry collection is limited to one two items. I admit it’s due to my interest as a crossdresser so narrowly focused on clothing, hair, and making my makeup look presentable. Jewelry and footwear are often an afterthought. But I’m never one to pass up anything that will make my feminine side look more presentable, be it a clothing item, advice, or a gift of jewelry. And, of course, it’s a gift, and I’m not one to look at gift horses in the mouth, so it were.
So, of course, I gratefully accepted Jen’s gift. Not only that, I made it a point to wear the necklace the next time Jen and I saw each other, which was at last weekend’s support group meeting. It was after that meeting when I gave Jen my own Christmas gift. Needless to say, she was just as thrilled that I was wearing the necklace as she was taking my gift for her (a desk calendar).
It won’t be the last time I wear that necklace either. Obviously, I won’t be able to wear it all the time as Allison, but I like how it stands out in a subtle way, at least when paired with that off-white sweater you see above. I’m thankful for such a thoughtful gift from my friend.
Oh, a side note: Something else that Jen gave me along with the necklace is going to be sticking with me for a while: The Hallmark Gold Crown bag it came in, which is emblazoned with this saying: “Keep your heart brave and your imagination wild.” Never let that free-spirited feeling escape you while dealing with the difficulties in life. Hallmark may make some pretty cheesy holiday movies every year, but at least they’re not above creating thoughtful messages in their greeting cards, bags, or what have you.
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