CONTEST- Earrings of Christmas Past
A fabulous man traveled many miles to a wintry ski town to court an unappreciative young woman. It was Christmas Eve, and Dave (my husband to be) took me out to a wonderful dinner at a local German restaurant. Back in the 80’s there weren’t many fancy restaurants in the tiny town of Winter Park, Colorado, but he had researched all of them and decided this was the most romantic. Let’s state I was cocky, self-assured and freaked out by the attention he doted on me that evening. Newly divorced from my first marriage and living with seven twenty-one year old boys, I was skiing all day and not committing too much at night. Dave was handsome, charming, smart, nice, and fun! He was definitely a something special. It scared the heck out of me. He lived in California for God’s sake!
After dinner he took me to his friend’s empty condo in town. I remember it had a small couch, and that was it. So you had to sit on the only piece of furniture close, which was a queue to my husband-to-be to kiss me. I remember having butterflies in the stomach, with that romantic, mess-up-your-hair kind of kiss.
It was amazing, but I knew that I had to get out of there. I knew all the tricks. First you kiss, and then you end up in California with two kids. No way THAT was going to happen to me, that evening. It was snowing and I had to get to bed to be well rested for skiing on Christmas Day.
So, Dave politely took me home. We said our good-byes at the door and he left. He drove over the pass, a 14,000 ft. snowy peak in the middle of the night back down to Denver. (What a jerk I was for not inviting him in for Christmas Eve.)
The next morning I realized my favorite earring was lost. It had porcupine quills, with long dangling beads that Cher might wear in a Vegas show, very 1980’s. (As of this publication, I can’t seem to find them to show you!) I sadly chalked up the loss and put the single earring on my dresser front and center. I knew that lost earring was at the “love shack” and I wasn’t going to call Dave and inquire. Six weeks went by and every day I saw that earring on the dresser. Whenever I saw that earring on the dresser, it made me think about Dave. I couldn’t get him out of my head. That earring was a constant reminder that I was mean that night and really didn’t like myself very much. Every time I looked at it I thought how I might have pushed a special guy out of my life.
Around Valentines Day I couldn’t stand it any longer. I at least owed him an apology…so I called. (If you know me, I’m not great at apologizing) He was gracious, happy and very accepting of my call. He said that he had found something of mine in the condo’s shag carpet and that he would send it to me in the mail. The next week…. my favorite earring made its way home and Dave a place in my heart.
Here on my blog, or on my Face Book page- JewelrybyTabernash I’m having a free earring give away for the best earring story. Please come and tell me about your favorite pair of earrings. Found in a yard sale? Given to you by your mother in law? Lover? Child? Self? Did you give someone a gift and it was memorable? I want to hear all about it. Don’t have a story yet? You can always find a special pair earrings on www.tabernash.etsy.com
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