Linde's story...

I love these jangly earrings but after a get-together with friends, a few bottles of sav blanc, good tunes and dancing on tables - god knows where the other one ended up???

Linde
Gisbourne
New Zealand

Jane's lost earring

This dangly little earring was the first 'adult' pair of earrings I was allowed to wear. Given as a gift by my mother, in some ways the earrings represented 'coming of age' - I loved wearing them and felt quite sophisticated. I guess this is why I have kept them in my jewellery box for so long.

My mother didn't like girls and young teenagers wearing big earrings - I guess in her conservative but sweet way she didn't want me to look like a tarty adolescent. At the time I might not have agreed with my mother's conservative ways but now as a mother myself it is easier to understand.

Jane
Brisbane
Australia

Another one bites the dust...

Who would have thought I would lose more single earrings during the one lost earring project??

I loved these little lavendar and white button studs...

Zara
Sydney
Australia

Michelle's lost earrings...

Both of these earrings were given to me for my 30th birthday by two of my closest friends.

The owl earring was made by my friend out of rose anodised aluminium. She chose the owl as a symbol of wisdom to make me feel good about my milestone. I took it out to do yoga and lost it somewhere on my journey home.

The silver earring was picked out by my other friend at a trade fair. It shows how much she knows me because the stone is my favourite colour (I often wear it) and the design is my style (small and delicate). It was lost while I was pashing a boy in the rain.

I don't own that many earrings, so I was happy to receive them and was proudly wearing them. They were versatile to wear with many outfits.

I was so disappointed when I lost them - both within a couple of weeks of my birthday! So annoyed by my carelessness and recklessness, I spent a long time trying to find them in the places where I knew they'd been lost.

They remind me of several lessons. To accept loss and let go. To forgive myself. To be careful. To treasure meaningful things. The kinds of things you finally realise in your 3rd decade.

They also remind me of my friends. They hang next to my bed so I often look at them and remember their thoughtfulness and times that we've shared together.

As I prepared this, I realised... They've become a pair with one another in my mind now - which is a nice ending! I like to think that they are not lonely.

Sydney
Australia