Not all treasure is silver or gold. ~ Captain Jack Sparrow
My mother’s gold cross is gone, and I am sick about it on many levels.
For as long as I can remember my mother wore that beautiful gold cross around her neck every day. It was a gift from her father on his return from one of his many trips to his homeland, Italy.
To my mother, the cross was a connection to her father who died nearly 45 years ago.
To me, it was an outward sign of my mother’s great faith.
To one of her visiting aides, it was money – something they could pawn or melt down for cash.
I am sick that I will not be the recipient of that cross someday. As the oldest daughter, I had my eye on that one piece of jewelry to claim as my own once my mom was no longer with us. I could see myself wearing that cross and feeling a special connection to my mother and grandfather.
I am sick that a person we paid to help my mom, while she waited for a room in an assisted living facility, felt the right to help herself to that cross along with other jewelry, gift cards, and a little cash. How low can you be? How desparate? How can you sleep at night knowing you stole from a woman suffering with dementia? I don’t understand.
I am sick that all the good jewelry is gone, and my siblings and I will not have the opportunity to pass it down to our children or grandchildren someday. That honor has been stolen from us.
As time passes, the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach is slowly being replaced with sadness and then resignation. I know that in the grand scheme of life the jewelry was not really that important. Although each piece evoked a particular memory, the memories we hold in our hearts can never be stolen.
Rita DiCarne 
This is a beautiful piece of writing that works on so many levels. I absolutely love the quote you chose to link to your writing. The treasure is your family – your mom, your grandfather, your siblings, and all of the memories that connect you to them. I know you realize that, but hat does not make the shock and the loss hurt any less when thinking of that cross.
I hope writing helps you heal.
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How sad that the caregiver didn’t realize how important memories are to the family. What a desperate and awful situation.
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Welcome to the slicing community! What a sad moment for you. But your last line says what is the most important – no one can steal the memories.
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Thank you!
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This makes me feel sick too. Both of my grandparents had stuff stolen from their caretakers. Unfortunately it happens way too often. Thank goodness for our memories. Thanks for posting!
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Thank you!
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I love your photo header! And I love bare branches too (read your February post) and your quote at the beginning of this post. I am so sad for your loss. Welcome to our slicing community!
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Thank you!
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Welcome to slicing! It’s hard to believe that some people are so down in their lives to take such a move that will impact others so much. I am so sorry for the things that are lost but mostly for the void that they have left in your lives. Your writing touches on all your feelings in such a nice way for a painful subject.
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Thank you!
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