Ingrid's Corner

Remembering Mom

by Ingrid

Staring at the pink diamond earrings laying in the palm of my hand seemed to open a flood gate of memories. I remember the day as if it were yesterday when I became the proud owner of these pretty little gems.

I was seven years old and our family of five had taken a trip to Germany. My parents hadn’t been back to their homeland in several years and this was a trip to help alleviate mom’s homesickness and/or to see if they wanted to move back to Germany.

As children, we were oblivious to any ulterior motives our parents may have had and simply embraced the adventure of travel.

I thought the gems were pink tourmaline, but when I had the level clasps replaced, the jeweler said they were rare pink diamonds.

Part of that adventure for me personally was getting my ears pierced. Back in the ’60s, it was rare to see little girls with their ears pierced in America but rather common in Germany.

Being a girly-girl (no Tomboy here), I was already into fashion, dresses, and jewelry at a young age and when I noticed young girls sporting beautiful dangly earrings, I wanted in … I wanted pierced ears and hanging earrings.

Ah, my poor mother! Off we headed to the local jewelry store to pick out a pair of earrings. I was given a few choices, but immediately knew which pair I wanted.

Easy peasy, so far! I sat in a tall chair while the jeweler, an old intimidating type of man, marked my earlobes with a pen for mom’s approval. Mom held my hand while the jeweler held a strange device up to my ear. A second later a hole was punched in my earlobe. It hurt much more than I was told it would, and then it began bleeding. Blood started running down my neck and I burst out hysterically crying.

It took what seemed like an hour before I calmed down. Everyone kept trying to convince me to have the other ear pierced. Yep, dad, big brother, and three-year-old little sister were all there dealing with my antics. My mother was exhausted, exasperated, and out of patience, and clearly, the jeweler couldn’t wait for us to leave. Mom had had enough of my drama and with a firm stern voice, she ordered me to get back up on that chair, stop crying, and sit still and then ordered the jeweler, “Do it, NOW”.

Five minutes later, I was skipping down the sidewalk tilting my head from side to side to feel the hanging earrings swing. I loved those earrings (and still do) and wore them every day for years. Today I retrieved them from my jewelry case and am proudly wearing them. Somehow, it makes mom feel just a little closer.

“For everything I am today, my mother’s love showed me the way”

Happy Mother’s Day

It has been several years since my mom’s passing and not a day goes by that I don’t miss her. But I feel blessed that she lived 83 years providing my children with lovely memories of their Oma. Our family is truly fortunate to have had such an amazing woman in our lives.

I can only hope that my own children think of me and my mothering skills with equal fondness.

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

(These are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support❤)

Belgium Chocolates
Mama Bear T Shirt
Instant Pot Lux Mini 3 Quart

68 thoughts on “Remembering Mom”

  2. Belated best wishes for Mother’s Day, Ingrid! Yours is a wonderful family story that, I’ll bet, will be passed down through your daughter, along with your lovely earrings. Although my Mom is forever in my heart, there are some things that immediately bring her to mind for various reasons – a city bus in the small city she lived in, chocolate/coconut “nests” that are sold around Easter, the crystal cake plate she used for special occasions. Even though I still miss her, I’m surrounded by warm memories, and that’s just delightful. Love the gorgeous photo of the rose!

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    1. Thank you, Mary, for stopping by and sharing your special memories. I’ve already passed down some precious mementos to my daughter that I know she’ll treasure. I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day as well.

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    1. Thank you ML. I always laugh when you call Logan Luke because the name Luke was in the running when we were discussing names for our son. In the end, we went with “Logan”.

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  4. Ingrid you told the story so well I could feel as though I was in the room hearing your cries. I’m sorry for the loss of your dear Mom. She sounds like a wonderful woman. Treasure those dear memories.

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    1. Thank you, Sue. My mom was a wonderful, strong woman whom I learned so much from and should’ve listened to her more 😏

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  5. Hi Ingrid, It is interesting how objects can evoke memories and emotions. I did not know how ear piercing was common in Germany. You bring back memories for me, too. My first language is German and I learned how to speak English in Grade One. I was born in Canada, although both my parents are from Germany. I was fortunate to have an Oma and an Opa. A beautiful post!

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    1. Yes, it’s those little things that bring forth fond memories. I’m first American born. Even my brother was born in Germany and English was the second language in our household during those early years. By the time I was a teenager, English became the prominent language. When I was sixteen, I spent my summer in Germany, and when I returned I held an entire conversation with my parents in German. And now, I can’t speak it anymore. I guess it’s true, use it or lose it 😏

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      1. I can understand (almost) everything in German. I am definitely rusty speaking any German. Interesting about some of the traditions we remember.

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  6. I hope you had a lovely Mother’s Day. I also feel connected to my mother through jewellery as I have several items that were hers. I also have my grandmother’s engagement ring, which is very special to me as well.

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    1. I too have jewelry from my mother and my daughter was given the wedding ring from her great grandmother. I know she treasures that. I had a wonderful weekend with a visit from my children on Mother’s Day.

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  7. A very special memory! Love the earrings! I remember my ear piercing as well. My mom made us wait until we were 13! Sure felt like a grown up after that!

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    1. Thank you Angela. Yeah, 13 seemed to be that magic age. That’s when I was allowed to start wearing lip gloss and mascara. 😊

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  9. Hi, Ingrid,
    I’m certain your Mother’s Day was a blessed one! Helen had her ears pierced when we lived in Wurzburg, Germany by a neighbor who used the ice cube/hat pin method. Her mother would never approve of such a thing, calling it “Barbaric.” By the time we returned to the States, Mom’s ears and little sister’s ears were pierced. Barbarism be damned! Loved the story!

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    1. Funny story! I don’t think I’ve ever heard pierced ears being called barbaric. I’ve always loved wearing my earrings and so glad I had it done when I was young. Hope you’re getting ready to hit the road soon. I know we’re getting antsy.

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    1. I thought I had already been following you. Ugh, sometimes I think when WordPress does updates, things get a little lost in the process. I’ve heard that from others as well.

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  11. Beautiful story, Ingrid. Such lovely memories. I guess your parents decided to return to the US and not settle in Germany. Maybe that stern jeweler had something to do with that? 🙂 It’s so nice you still have the earrings and that you wore them on Sunday! They are lovely and special!

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    1. Thank you Liesbet. According to my parents, they said they had become too Americanized to move back. At least that trip helped my mom alleviate her homesickness. Could you move back to Belgium or would you want to?
      I’m still proudly wearing the earrings today 😊

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      1. Nice! I might be too Americanized to move back too! Just kidding. But, I don’t have any interest to ever live in Belgium again. Too crowded and too crappy weather and too built-up. Not exciting enough. I could move back if I had to, though (always temporary in my situation), since I’ll always be a citizen. And, it would be nice to visit once in a while. It’s been two years already. All my family and initial friends live there.

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    1. Ah yes, thank you! I had been typing ‘staring’ elsewhere and not sure how this faux pas slipped by. Even my excellent editor (husband) missed that one 🥴. Always appreciate your input 😁

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  13. A beautiful story Ingrid 🙂 I still remember getting my ears pierced in the late 70’s, I also didn’t want the second ear done and it took a lot of convincing. I was glad when our daughter had her ears pierced that they did them both at the same time.

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    1. I had my daughter’s ears pierced at a really young age (6 months) and she and I agree, it was the best timing. Absolutely no problems and they did both ears at the same time. Ah, what we gals do to ourselves in the name of beauty 😆

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  14. Loved your story, the doctor thought I was going to faint when I had my ears pierced. It wasn’t because of any pain, it was the faces his nurse made seeing him do it. 😊 Love your earrings.

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    1. Thank you … Haha! You would think a nurse would know better and not be fazed. I would love to return to Europe just to go earring shopping 🧐

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  21. What a lovely memory Ingrid & such beautiful earrings. I had my ears pierced with a darning needle by a neighbor of ours🥴. She held an ice cube on either side of my ear first before pushing it through. Yikes!

    Happy Mother’s Day my friend💕

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    1. Thank you Lynn. Oh, how I remember my friends doing something similar. I was so glad my ears had been pierced at a young age that the needle and ice weren’t part of my history. Hope you enjoy your day!

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  22. Such a fun memory. Made me remember when I attempted to pierce my sister’s ears in the closet. After numbing with ice, I pulled out a sewing needle. Half way in it got stuck. The whole potatoe idea didn’t work to pull it through. My dad heard the commotion and was so mad when he found us. He said her ear was going to fall off before getting his pliers. Poor Patty.

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    1. Eek! I recall friends piercing each others ears but never understood the reasoning behind the potato. I’m glad I had mine pierced when I was young and avoided the DIY in Junior High. Hope your vertigo is better and you enjoy your time in CO.

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  23. Happy Mother’s Day, Ingrid. What a wonderful and funny memory. Those earrings are precious. We had a virtual dance party with friends and family across the city and country to Can’t Stop the Feeling this morning. Our one daughter and family came by and our daughter in Georgia and SIL danced with us on the tablet. It was wonderful during this crazy time!!

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    1. Thank you Kathy. I love these earrings and was shocked when I found out the gem was a pink diamond. I knew they were pricy because mom would sternly tell me repeatedly that I’m not to remove them and better not lose them. I remember P.E. teachers asking me to remove them and I would refuse and tell them to call my mother.
      Glad you were able to celebrate Mother’s Day and enjoy some dancing. 😊

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      1. A marvelous gift to last a lifetime. And to pass on. I have a solid gold heart with a ruby chip in it that my aunt gave me as a toddler. It even has my teeth marks in it. I treasure that little piece of the past.

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    1. Oh yes, I’ve kept several pieces of jewelry safe. I don’t always travel with all my stuff but keep certain items stored in a firebox kept with one of my children for safekeeping. Hope you are enjoying your day and doing something fun. 😊

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    1. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to add in the German language, and you definitely didn’t mess with mom. The fact that she was under 5’2” was irrelevant 😀

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