There is no greater joy to experience than watching a child eagerly explore the nooks and crannies of the seashore, searching earnestly for hidden treasures. When the child finds something to their liking, their eyes widen with wonderment, as they hold up their newly found prize to the light, examining its loveliness more closely. They are at once amazed at the unique beauty of their find and immeasurably proud of their own cleverness at having been able to find this wonder.

To the eyes of an ordinary adult observer, however, this miraculous find the child discovered may look less like the glittering gold of El Dorado, and more like a dull piece of glass, long discarded by it original owner when it no longer was useful or held value to them.

However, if we choose to see that dull piece of glass with childlike enthusiasm, we too can begin to see its true value. We can imagine the journey of untold years this misplaced shard spent rolling on the ocean floor, crashing with the waves on jagged shores, and enduring other treacherous perils, only to, somehow, find its way into our hands. We can appreciate that although this ordinary piece of glass began its journey by being carelessly discarded, it emerged from each harrowing experience more brilliant and distinctively alluring, something worth cherishing.

When adorning yourself with this piece of sea glass that has been lovingly transformed into jewelry, remember the lessons it contains. Remember that however broken, imperfect, useless, or worn down by life you feel, you have been shaped by each trial you’ve faced and emerged stronger, wiser, and more decidedly you. Your endurance, resilience, and singular life experience makes you truly one of a kind, something NOT to be carelessly tossed aside, but something to be treasured.

Let us ALL always remember to look through the eyes of a child to see beauty in the mundane, and more importantly in ourselves.