The chain was given to me by my grandmother just days before she passed away due to lung cancer. The chain was originally bought by my great grandmother during the first World War. In the early twenty-first century a possession such as this would have been worth a fortune and more. You would expect the chain to have been sold for a fortune but it was something that was always going to be special and it would have been a let down if it were sold. My great grandmother gave it to my grandmother, just days before she passed away. And today, I am privileged enough to have it. You would expect the chain to have been passed on to my mother, but I had a close relationship with my grandmother and the tradition was broken. That just shows what my grandmother was like. She loved being different to most other people. She did not believe in wearing a watch and never did. She took life as it comes and was always cool and calm. I think that she loved this to be some sort of rebel and to enjoy life this way.
The chain also reminds me of the very fond memories that I had with my grandmother. A particular memory that I shall never forget is when my family and my grandparents were on holiday in Thailand. We were all staying in a hotel next to the sea and my grandmother asked whether we could take a speedboat, just for the fun of it. At first, we all thought that she was joking and we thought no more of it. But little did we know until we received a reminder call from the hotel to say that a speedboat journey had been booked. It was then when we realised that it was probably my grandmother. The next thing that I remember is all of us on a speedboat and that it was windy and the sea was rough. We could not believe it and nor could the driver but we all got on the boat and put on our lifejackets and we were off. I remember sitting in the boat, probably more scared than my grandmother was. It was then when I thought to myself that my grandmother was someone special. She was someone who enjoyed life and was never afraid to do things that someone of her age was not ‘supposed’ to do.
When I look at the gold chain, it reminds me of my grandmother. Perhaps this is because it has similarities to my grandmother. The chain has a unique charm to it; just as my grandmother has. It is also very strong and this definitely reminds me of my grandmother’s strong, determined, and unique character. So, the chain acts as a visual representation of my grandmother; for whom I love and miss.
I do not wear the chain because it just does not feel right and I want to keep it safe, so I keep it close to me, in my drawer. Although it is not with me all the time, I still look at it frequently, mostly when I feel let down and scared. It is very important to me as I feel as though it represents a part of my grandmother. It is extremely special to me as it carries many memories throughout the years. I think I will eventually pass it on to my children and fulfil the family tradition.