"Stories to Tell" by Ambassador Hannah

I love telling stories. As long as I can remember, I have been a story teller. Not in the way of being deceitful, but in the way of telling a narrative. As a child, I lived for the moments my mother would sit on the phone talking for what seemed like hours at a time. I would plop myself down right next to her on my parent’s bed, or sit in close enough proximity so I could absorb all the chatter. I’d watch intently as the inflections in her voice echoed around the room, her facial expressions morphed by the minute, and her body language shifted like an elegant interpretive dance. As I grew, I started telling stories of my own through commanding the attention of every adult in the room by acting out dialogue I conjured up, and writing original fiction in elementary school. Now as an adult, I tell not only my personal stories through my writing still, and the tattoos that adorn my body, but I tell my stories through the jewelry I choose to wear everyday. 

I still own every single piece of jewelry that has ever graced my jewelry box--that includes the first ring I owned which was a 50 cent gumball machine grab. I found that as I navigated the day-to-day, the questions about my jewelry became insistent. I’m sure at the time it was directly correlated to my age. Imagine seeing a 7-year-old dripped in sterling from head to toe, I would ask her about where she got all those “grown-up” pieces, too. As adults asked me about the shining silver I wore and loved, I came to realize it was a time for me to tell my story, and tell my jewelry’s story. With each new piece I got to tell those who were curious about my ring I bought in Italy with the last bit of Euros I had in my purse when I was 16, the earrings I went back to buy while in Ireland which caused me to almost miss my bus back to Dublin, or the pendant that I got on the beach in Mexico and nearly lost in the ocean because of a few too many delicious cocktails. My jewelry is the introduction to so many of my life’s stories. I can tell you about the adventures that were had, the destinations traveled, the celebratory and gloomy fueled purchases, the gifts, the life marking occasions, and the friends, family, and strangers making them all that much more significant to me.  

And what I love about my Beth Millner Jewelry is it has some of the best narratives to tell. I love that others will approach and comment on the artistry of Beth’s work, and I get to tell the story of the business, their ethical and sustainable practices, the philanthropy work BMJ does for the community I hold dear, and their process behind the pieces made. But most importantly, I adore having the opportunity to tell the story of my favorite places when asked, “Where is that?” on my pendant, and I can proudly start telling the inquirer by saying, “Home.”