GRACE TAKES NOTES
Knotted Pearls On A Strand
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
My grandmother, not the one who raised me, left me a knotted strand of pearls in a satin brocade case. I never saw her wear them.
Pearls are naturally made by marine oysters and freshwater mussels. They are formed against an irritant as simple as a grain of sand or as complex as a parasite entering the shell of their fragile body. To protect itself, the oyster produces nacre to cover the foreign substance.
Nacre is made up of calcium carbonate ( aragonite) and a small amount of polymeric material. Over time, these layers form a pearl. The more layers of nacre, the higher the lustre.
Pearl necklaces are often knotted for two reasons. One, to protect from abrasion when worn, and two, so that if the strand should break, the pearls will not scatter.
I rarely wear the pearls, but I hold them now and then. A pearl necklace tells a story of complexity. On close examination, each one is different. I imagine each lustrous sphere representing a distinct facet of human nature.
There are pearls of resilience, the deep, iridescent ones. These orbs embody the strength we develop through adversity and vulnerability. There are softer, translucent pearls…
