I joke with my mom that soon I'm going to stop packing whenever I come to visit in Virginia. I already stopped bringing too many accessories along because she has the most fantastic jewelry collection. I borrow everything from her, though--tops (especially the thin white one with grey birds printed across it), sweaters, necklaces, sports bras, socks, those gold earrings with the light pink stones and the frilly outline that looks like the edge of a doily.

But there are things I don't borrow. Her class ring from high school, gold with a green stone on top; or her wedding rings, which I used to slip on every now and again in the past and admire from my own hand. And then there are things that I borrowed so much that I now own them myself.

When I was even younger, I used to rummage through her jewelry box, trying things on and imagining them in the places they had been before they found their eventual home, tucked away in a box with other shiny memories. My grandmother's wedding ring was the thing I wore most often, and when I turned eighteen or perhaps graduated from high school (I can't even remember the occasion now), my parents gave it to me as a gift.

It originally had three stones, and a few had been missing, so they had it re-sized and repaired the setting with sapphires, my birthstone. It was my grandmother's, and then it was my mom's, and then it was mine.

Sometimes material things don't matter. But other times, they do.

This post is in response to the following prompt: "Write about your mother's jewelry. Write about her shoes." (From Old Friend from Far Away, page 153.) If you've written a response of your own, please share it below in the comments!

P.S. Visit this post for next week's prompt.

There's a place that exists between fear and assurance, and I tend to dwell there. I want to be confident and enthusiastic about life and all of its possibilities, and most of the time I am. But sometimes I feel overwhelmed.

I panic about being far from my family and our friends. I miss my mom and my dad and my brother; and I am starting to yearn for warmer weather and a neighborhood full of friends. I want to be adventurous and free-spirited and easygoing, but often I am cautious and moody. We're nearing the time in Rob's career where talks about a new project are taking place. We might stay in Minneapolis, we might not. We might go back to Virginia, but we might not do that either. I would rather be the version of myself that asks, What's next? Let's do it!  instead of the one who demands, What's next? I need to know now.

The more controlling side of myself has given way to the braver me plenty of times these past seven months. There have been countless opportunities for growth, and I am so grateful for them. But there's still a side of me that can make herself sick with worry. There's always a chance to let go a little more, and I try to do it every day.

This post is in response to the following prompt: "Often we are pulled between two places...Tell us about them. Give us the pull, the conflict, the desire." (From Old Friend from Far Away, page 204.) You can visit this post for next week's prompt.

Image credit: V.A. Photography

I try really hard to always be reading a book. Sometimes I'm reading more than one, but that often doesn't end well. I tried to read

The Hobbit

 and re-read

Jane Eyre

over Christmas and as a result, they both lie half-finished and untouched for some time on my bedside table. They are beautiful books, but they didn't stick with me enough to go on. But there are books (and characters) that have stayed with me throughout the years.

Sophie

taught me that there's more to the world than I can ever see or know.

Atonement

is sad and beautiful and overflowing with richness and showed me just how much power there is in literature.

Clarissa

 taught me about perseverance and complexity.

Where the Wild Things Are

 taught me the impact a picture book could have and ignited my passion for children's literature.

What books spoke to you in a way you didn't expect?

This post is in response to the following prompt: "

Tell about periods when you haven't read. What were you doing? Where and when do you read best?

" (From 

Old Friend from Far Away

, page 160.) As you can see, you can take a prompt and go any direction with it. If you've written a response of your own, please share it below in the comments! 

P.S. Visit 

this post

 for next week's prompt.

P.P.S. If you'd like to join The Eighty Twenty's book club, you can learn more

here

.