You all know recently that way my love of jewelry had grown. I have been very fortunate over the past few months to be able to review some great pieces of jewelry from some great online shops. I have reviewed some beautiful necklaces, cute bracelets, and exquisite earrings. There are truly a lot of wonderful jewelry stores out there that sell everything from handmade jewelry to handstamped jewelry and so much more. I have come across one that is pretty special and dear to my heart. Susan Howard Designs is a great shop that specializes in Christian jewelry designs and Comfort Wear Jewelry. Before I get to the actual review, let me tell you a little bit about Susan Howard and her jewelry.
Through Susan's faith, her designs are conceived in her heart. Her inspired purpose for creating Comfort Wear Jewelry is just as simple as the name itself-to help bring comfort to the people who wear her jewelry. The far deeper purpose behind the creation of her jewelry is her genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others. Her vision is to design jewelry for organizations that are seeking to raise funds for their particular cause. Susan embraces organizations big and small, who are eager and committed to stand up for the people who cannot stand up or speak for themselves. She seeks organizations that strive to impact the lives of women and children in need, thus creating a positive change for their future. Susan believes the time has come to awaken your compassion and turn it into an action and become a part of a wonderful change in the world. Among her collection you will find a wide selection of memorial jewelry designed to help bring comfort to grieving loved ones. Etched on the back, you will find beautiful prayers specific to each piece written by Susan herself and inspired by her faith. All of her pieces are inspirational, many are designed to bring comfort to people during the challenging times in their life. Susan donates 10% of her royalties to The Jewelers For Children, which supports causes such as Autisim Speaks, Make-A-Wish Foundation, St. Jude's, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatrics and AIDS Foundation. Susan's passion behind creating and designing Comfort Wear Jewelry has been to create fashionable jewelry that truly expresses God's grace and unconditional love for all mankind.
I was sent the most beautiful and heartwarming necklace that I have quite honestly ever received for review. It was the Loss of a Mother necklace, an absolutely stunning and simple necklace hat has a beautiful butterfly etched on the front. It was also sterling silver, which I love, and came in a nice green gift box. On the back is this saying:
My Mother was the greatest gift to me, patient and kind she loved unconditionally. She was all I ever hoped to be. May she rest in peace with you Lord for eternity.
This necklace definitely has a very special meaning to me and when Susan asked me which of her beautiful necklaces that I would like to review, this one came to me without hesitation. On June 4th of this year, it will be 2 years since I lost my mother. It is still to this day as fresh as the day it happened and definitely not an easy thing to talk about. My mother and I have always had an up and down relationship, there were times when we were close and other times we couldn't have been more further apart. My mom suffered from diabetes for most of my life and was sick off and on for many years. My mom was heavy and had lost a lot of weight upon finding out she had the diabetes, but it still plagued her and toward the end of her life it had progressed into so much more. She has lost a foot and was forced to be in a wheelchair. After my first daughter was born, my mother and I had an argument that caused me to lose contact with her for several years. My uncle had spent a lot of time taking care of her and eventually she ended up in a nursing home. My mother also had problems with her mind which caused her to lash out at the staff as well as her family and at times she didn't know who people were or what she was doing. Even though I didn't see her or talk to her, I was updated on her progress and did go to see her a couple of times. I was 7 months pregnant with my little one when I received a call from my uncle saying my mom was not doing good at all and that I should probable go and see her. I spent a little time talking with my husband and asking him what I should do, because there was a lot of circumstances and "bad blood" that had been spilled between my mother and other members of my family-more of a control issue. My hubby, thank God, straightened me up and told me that I should go and see her otherwise I would never forgive myself. I spent everyday, several hours a day for that last week of her life, mostly by myself, up at the nursing home, watching my mother who simply was unrecognizable to me with the way she looked, slowly fade away. I made my peace with her, I apologized to her and even in her state, she knew me and knew that I was there. The nurses told me she talked about me all of the time and she knew she had a daughter. She also knew she had one granddaughter and recognized her when I had brought her up to see her for the last time. My oldest never really got the chance to know her grandmother and the little one will only know through pictures and stories. I will always remember the last night of her life like it was yesterday. I had spent all day up at the nursing home with my mother, the Hospice nurse, and the pastor and we all knew it was getting close. I had stayed until 8 or 9 that evening and had come home from the nursing home absolutely exhausted. I got the call right around midnight saying that my mother's breathing was slowing way down and that I should get there as soon as possible. I remember driving 80 down the expressway trying to get there. When I did and I got to her room, she was just about gone, it was a matter of maybe 5 minutes later that she was. I remember feeling numb, but not being able to cry, at least not at that moment. My uncle was with me at the time and we just both sat there, not really knowing what to do. It wasn't until I finally left and got the car on the road, that I was able to let go. When I got home, my hubby who was sleeping, woke up and hugged me . Around 10 the next morning, I made that dreaded trip up to the nursing home to retrieve all of her belongings. I still can't believe to this day that she is gone. Like I said, my mother and I had a tumultuous relationship, but regardless she was still my mother and nothing could change that. I had the peace of knowing that even in her darkest and final moments, that I was there with her and made my ammends. We as a family have been through our fair share of loss: my father when I was 16, my grandmother 6 years ago: who was my absolute heart and soul and raised me to be who I am, my father in law and my hubby's grandmother. There are times when I feel like I can't get through the day and then I look on my wall at my mother and I know that somehow I can. Through the bad times, there were a lot of good times and that's what I remember the most. Thanks Susan for giving me the courage to share my story with my readers.
If you have felt loss in your life whether it be your mothers, father, spouse, or even a child, please check out Susan's beautiful and creative necklaces. Trust me, they will give you a sense of peace and definitely comfort. You can find them HERE. Susan also has a great other selection of inspirational necklaces. To locate a Susan Howard Designs retailer, please head over HERE.
GIVEAWAY-
Susan from Susan Howard Designs would love to give one blessed winner their very own Loss of A Mother necklace. (APPROX VALUE $55)
MAIN ENTRY-Mandatory and must be done before any extra entries. Please make sure that your email address is visible in your comments so that I have a way to contact you if you win.
Head on over to Susan Howard Designs and let me know which necklace would hold a special meaning for you in your life. If you would like, you may share a little bit of your loss stories.
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Giveaway will end Thursday 5/6 at 7pm EST. Winner will be chosen via random.org and notified by email as well as posted here on my blog. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Open to US and Canadian residents ONLY! Special, special thanks to Susan for sponsoring this giveaway. GOOD LUCK!
Disclosure- I received no monetary compensation for this review, only a free Loss of a Mother pendant from Susan Howard Designs in exchange for my honest opinions. The words expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way. Additional information from Susan Howard Designs site.
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