Do you have a heirloom you would like to reinvent?

Deborah had a shell casing  from her father's funeral. He received military honors for serving as a physician in Vietnam. While there he also earned the Bronze Star medal for determining the proper mix of drugs needed to save patients with tropical diseases and insisted on meeting with the US Surgeon General to assure that those medications would be transported to his evacuation hospital, where they were needed. Deborah was looking to have this casing as a small symbol of her father made into something she could keep close. 

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“I wanted lapis for this piece because of all the layers of meaning it would have for me.  Blue was always my dad’s favorite color and the shade of his eyes.  Additionally, when I looked up it’s meaning, the first site I read said it’s a universal symbol of wisdom and truth. Honor was among the words too.  Not just following his death, but preceding it, these are all words I always have and will continue to use to describe my dad.

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Nothing could be a more perfect reflection of what I wanted to remember my father.  In fact, it was so perfect that my mom and sister both asked for the same piece with their bullet casings as well.

 

I am forever grateful for having chosen Julie to make this heirloom for me, not only because of the perfect resulting piece, but because of her loving support and care through the entire experience. Reflecting back, I believe she helped me grieve as well. What a gift.” - Deborah