Ties that bind
"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart"
Proverbs 3:3
I love getting letters - old-school, hand-written letters on stationary from the other side of the world. Today, I received a letter from a friend in the U.S., and it was the most beautiful hand-written memorandum I have ever received. The letter was soaked in gratitude, encouragement, and tales of her recent adventure. Even the envelope was covered with her drawings and favorite quotes! I was floored by her thoughtfulness.
When I opened the letter, there was a hand-made yarn bracelet inside in our school colors, green and gold. She must have noticed that I wear ankle bracelets, and I'm thankful to have another one, especially from a good friend like her. I started wearing ankle bracelets in college as reminders of places I had been. I can tell you where and when I got each one, but I never make them myself; I either buy them or get them from friends. I tie each bracelet on once, and I never take it off. The bracelets are symbols of positive memories and places that I've been - places I'm not ready to leave. In some ways, the bracelets help me remember, and in other ways, they help me let go. When a bracelet falls off (which they all eventually do) I don't tie it back on. I let it go, and that's my symbol to myself that it's time to move on. By the time the bracelet falls off, I've probably already been on new adventures. Any lessons I learned have probably become so integrated into my consciousness that I don't need to be reminded of them anymore.
To be honest, I never fully understood the reason I wear ankle bracelets until I had to explain it to my brother. It's just something I did without ever needing to articulate why. They are my tokens, my reminders, my links to past times and places that I love.
I'm happy to tie on my new bracelet today because it reminds me of the best part of my scientific life in Oregon: mentoring undergraduates. When I was first getting into science, I was given incredible opportunities by those above me, and I vowed that once I was established as a scientist, I would do the same for others. This letter and this bracelet are proof that I have succeeded in that goal. Granted, I'm still on my way up in the scientific world, but I'm getting closer to being a finished product. In many ways, I'm proud to be able to say that I've become the person that I always wanted to be.
Proverbs 3:3
I love getting letters - old-school, hand-written letters on stationary from the other side of the world. Today, I received a letter from a friend in the U.S., and it was the most beautiful hand-written memorandum I have ever received. The letter was soaked in gratitude, encouragement, and tales of her recent adventure. Even the envelope was covered with her drawings and favorite quotes! I was floored by her thoughtfulness.
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| My new bracelet (left) next to ones from Portland, OR (middle) and Auckland, NZ (right) |
To be honest, I never fully understood the reason I wear ankle bracelets until I had to explain it to my brother. It's just something I did without ever needing to articulate why. They are my tokens, my reminders, my links to past times and places that I love.
I'm happy to tie on my new bracelet today because it reminds me of the best part of my scientific life in Oregon: mentoring undergraduates. When I was first getting into science, I was given incredible opportunities by those above me, and I vowed that once I was established as a scientist, I would do the same for others. This letter and this bracelet are proof that I have succeeded in that goal. Granted, I'm still on my way up in the scientific world, but I'm getting closer to being a finished product. In many ways, I'm proud to be able to say that I've become the person that I always wanted to be.
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