There are moments in life  that are worth commemorating, and the birth of a child is definitely one of them. There are countless ways to do so, but you can never go wrong with jewelry. I’m loving the gorgeous new heart pendant from Golden Thread, which can be engraved on both sides. It’s the perfect gift for a new mom like me.

SHOP: cold shoulder top (c/o) from Pomp and Circumstance in Rice Village // boyfriend jeans // Naomi’s watermelon dress (sold out), top version here

When the owner and designer of Golden Thread reached out to me, I was hesitant. Not because the jewelry wasn’t beautiful. but because I haven’t worn a necklace since Tova’s birth. It’s not something I like to talk about much.

And here’s why.

As I was lying on the table for my c-section, already prepped for surgery, one of the nurses noticed that I was still wearing a necklace. It was the one I never take off, my most valuable possession: a gold silhouette pendant that belonged to my mom. It had her name and birthday engraved on it. Her name was Naomi too, just like my first daughter’s, so I wear it in my mom’s memory and to commemorate my Naomi’s birth. I also had my Naomi’s birthday engraved on it.

The nurse pointed out to me that I was still wearing my necklace, and that it would need to be removed. She quickly took it off of me, and we proceeded with Tova’s birth.

It wasn’t until many hours later, after I came up for air after savoring those first moments with Tova, that I realized I wasn’t wearing my necklace.

The nurse had handed it to my husband, and he put it in his pocket. When he went to take it out of his pocket, only the chain was there.

The pendant was gone. The chain was there, but no pendant. Frantically, we called in the nurses, who set out on a massive search that included looking in every nook and cranny of the OR, all throughout the floor we were on, and even the laundry and the trash.

We never found it.

I had vice presidents of the hospital coming in to speak with me, probably concerned about a lawsuit. But I didn’t want money. I wanted my necklace.

When you lose someone important, like a parent, you often hold on to little things of theirs in order to keep them close. I know these things are just that: things. But they’re little reminders of the person, and with every day that you get further and further away from that person’s passing, the little things grow in value. Because I know at least for me, the everyday things about my mom — her laugh, her voice, what she looked like — become more and more distant to me. I never want my mom’s memory to be lost to me, and when I’d wear that necklace, I’d think of her throughout the day.

But it was just gone. Here one second, gone the next. And I was devastated. As happy as I was to meet our beautiful new baby, I couldn’t put the idea that I’d be leaving the hospital without that necklace out of my mind. I cried while we were getting ready to go home, and they weren’t happy tears.

I just couldn’t bring myself to wear anything else. Losing that necklace drudged up a lot of sad memories, and made an already emotional time that much moreso. It felt like I’d lost a piece of myself.

Golden Thread Jewelry’s More Love, Less Hate” Pendant

So now here we are, six months later. I’m still sad. Still in disbelief, in fact, that I’ll never see that necklace again. But instead of trying to replace it, I decided it was time to move on and wear something else to commemorate the birth of my two beautiful girls. And this gorgeous gold heart featuring each girl’s initials on one side is the perfect gift for a new mom like me. It’s simply and dainty enough for everyday wear, but big enough that it makes a statement. I love long, gold chains with beautiful pendants on the end, so this was the perfect piece for me.

Best of all, this necklace is part of Golden Thread’s new “More Love, Less Hate” Campaign. This necklace that represents more love, less hate in light of recent events in Texas, across the United States, and our world. Wear it as a badge of hope, love, and encouragement to others during difficult times. We could all use more positivity, more kindness, more love these days, I’m sure of that.

My new necklace can never replace my mom’s, but I’ll still think of her every time I wear it.

Photos by Tanya Radoff Photography