Belated Blog Birthday!

Cupcake with Lit Candle by Etsy Seller Grandhorse

Dang it, people!!! I forgot my own blog birthday!!!


Last week (March 26), The Lucky Stone turned one year old!


I can't believe I've been a part of something as wonderful as the blog community for over a year! It has been a source of inspiration, blessings, and encouragement during a challenging, yet amazing, 12 months of my life.


I can honestly say that blogging has changed who I am and how I see the world, and I am so grateful that you take the time to visit and share this piece of my life with me.


In honor of the occasion, I am posting the very first thing I ever wrote for The Lucky Stone, and hopefully you will get a glimpse of what originally inspired me to start blogging in the first place.

Inspiration

When I was little, I used to search for "lucky stones" with my grandpa in
the woods. Looking back at these special moments, I smile on some of my most
cherished childhood memories.

Walking along the trail next to the creek, we'd find pocketfuls of raw
quartz, tucked under fallen tree branches or buried beneath the ponderosa
needles. They were usually a cloudy, brownish-grey on the outside and had very
stubborn dirt caked into the grooves. I always tried to brush the dirt off with
the sleeve of my jacket or a little bit of spit, but Bompa would gently tell me
to wait. No matter how many times we had done it before, I needed reminding that
if I could just wait until we brought the stones back to his workshop, I'd be
able to see their true beauty.

When we would arrive back at the house, we'd gently wash the grimy little
stones in the kitchen sink, and then the excitement would build as we took them
out into his shop. I'd wait with anticipation as he got out his tools and began
to break those little plain-looking stones in half.

One by one, they'd fall open to reveal the most delicately glimmering pink
insides. They would catch and reflect even the softest light in their shiny new
surface that looked like pink lace, and I can still remember being able to
admire them for what seemed like hours. These pieces of rose quartz became my
treasures, and I filled many jewelry boxes and coin purses with my collection.
They were valuable to me because my grandpa had treated them like magical gifts
fit only for a princess, but they were also special because I felt as though I
had been a part of helping them reach their true and glowing
potential.

I picked the name "Lucky Stone" for my blog and my Etsy Store as a reminder
that proverbially searching for lucky stones should be a part of our everyday
lives. Whether it is a person, a home, or a vintage piece of furniture -
believing that something old and tired can be seen as beautiful again is a
quality that will truly make our lives brighter.

My grandpa is no longer on this earth, but he is still very much alive in my
heart. He taught me to see things through a hopeful eye, and to always consider
that the mystery of beauty is often lying just beneath the surface - in the end,
all it took to make those little stones shine was a little bit of
love.