When I was a child, my parents told me that my grandma would never leave my side. I did not understand what they meant at the time. Looking back, there were too many memories and aspects to remember about her.

I opened the royal blue gift box my parents gave me after graduation, and did not see her, but I knew she was there because I could feel her.

Every time I looked through the sparkling amethyst, I could see the necklace laying on my grandma’s wrinkled skin.  She always made the necklace look perfect because she always paired it with a matching set of pearls.  When I looked at her, I could see how happy she was wearing her most prized possession, knowing that one day, it would be passed on to me.

 I wonder what people think when they look at a piece of a purple stone just shining through a box. Every time I stare at my grandmother’s antique necklace, I see value, beauty, and delicacy. I observe the memories we made together packed into her stone's density and the light of her presence reflecting onto it. I wonder to myself, if other people were to observe this necklace, would they see the true beauty of it, or just what the outside presents? Would they see a bland purple circle that has no flavor? Would they see it shimmering from the light reflected off the sun, that shows all its beauty? I am the only person that would know the true value and meaning behind this amethyst necklace.

I remember her telling me once that there is a difference between what you see and what others see. An outsider would only see a dark purple circle shut away in a box and would wonder what value it would present to anyone. They could stare through the layers of shimmer and see that the stone is extraordinarily strong and holds lots of importance. If an outsider were to look past the outer layer, they would see the true value of it, but it is okay if they do not because I do not expect them to see the lifelike beauty of the stone, the way I see it.

Maybe if people dug deeper beneath the surface, they could see the memories of us the stone contains and the importance of the purple stone and what it means to me. They would see that this stone has a heart of gold and that it will never be stripped of its beauty. Even though an object may seem boring and lack character, it does not mean it does not contain beauty or value. It is hard to imagine what a better life would be like because I have everything I need all in one place in the stone.

After 10 years without her, she finally showed up again, this time in her necklace, keeping her promise to never leave my side.