lucky charms

I noticed yesterday, that the elephant bracelet I'd been wearing since the day I found out I was a match was gone. I don't remember the last time I noticed it - after all these months it had become almost a part of me. I realized I don't think it was on my wrist in yoga the day before and perhaps it wasn't there the class before that. 

I'd found out I was a match on 12/23. Later that day,  as I wandered through the Union Square Holiday Market I thought it would be cool to give a my brother a commemorative present, a good luck charm for the upcoming journey. Having said that, I had less than no clue as to what I could possibly find. 

And then I saw the elephant bracelet: a silver charm with an upturned trunk on a red cotton string. The sign posted next to it explained that elephants are symbol of good luck and good health. Plus, my favorite Hindu god, Ganesh, he of the elephant head, helps one to overcome obstacles. 

I bought 2, one for each of us. The next night, as my brother opened them up at our annual Christmas Eve at his house dinner, I felt pretty silly. He doesn't wear things like this.  But, he said that this he would. Only it didn't fit. The next day the vendor kindly resized it. Still too small. 

I emailed the jewelry designer with my dilemma and she graciously offered to fix it again. A couple of weeks later it arrived in the mail and he's been wearing it ever since. 

I found similar charms and made 18 more bracelets to share with people. Iz and Jack are still wearing theirs. Jon and my brother's wife wore them around the clock for months. 

I imagined I'd always have my well-worn symbol of this unique shared time, the red string frayed and broken, the charm scratched and nicked. But, it wasn't meant to be. Now my brother and I have matching  abdominal scars. Not quite identical - his is much bigger - but we got them at the same time. 

And we'll have them forever.