Getting your ears pierced is a rite of passage in many cultures.

I vividly remember getting my own ears pierced. My mom had a rule that my sister and I had to wait until we were 16 years old. As with most older sister / younger sister situations my sister dutifully waited until she was 16 and I got to get my ears pierced when I turned 13 years old. With the caveat – no dangle earrings!! Well, my best friend and I had a joint 13th b-day party (boy-girl!!) and the majority of gifts were earrings for my newly pierced ears — dangle earrings. My mom sighed. And thus my love of earrings was born.

Remember these?!

My daughter just got her ears pierced as her big holiday present. When she was born, I said she’ll have to wait until she is 16 years old. A couple of years ago I said I’d consider 13 years old. Well, she is currently 12 years old. It has been a long, tough year and if earrings bring her a little joy, what’s the difference of six months 12 to 13 years old.

While my daughter is exploring styles and, of course, pushing for dangle earrings I am feeling the itch for new earrings!

For me, earrings are very personal. They are the one piece of jewelry I wear every day. They are an extension of my personality. They have also been a consistent gift of love from my significant other over the decades (!!) of our relationship. Specifically, our source has been a small, family-owned jeweler, Shah & Shah Distinctive Jewellers. I’ve had the privilege of benefiting from two generations of their elegant, creative craftsmanship to represent my life’s milestones – anniversaries, motherhood, holidays, birthdays and sometimes a “just because” – my Shah & Shah jewelry are a blueprint of my adult life through lean times and bountiful times.