This week I received a very special gift.

While visiting my parents on Memorial Day, my mother gave me a pearl necklace that belonged to her mother.

My Oma died in September at the age of 89. She was my last living grandparent.

While handling her final affairs, my mother and her sisters found jewelry in a safety deposit box.

It probably hadn’t been worn in more than 20 years.

While much of it was costume jewelry, there were several genuine pieces the sisters shared.

Each of them took pieces that were special to them.

While some of the jewelry wasn’t in the best condition, each of them took the pieces to a jeweler to have them repaired or repurposed.

My mother took an old diamond ring that wasn’t stable and had the diamonds removed and reset into a new ring.

She showed me the ring Monday, happy she was able to salvage something that her mother once cherished.

The jewelry may only be a material possession, but I think sometimes they are needed to help link the gap between time and memories.

Using something in my everyday life that is linked to my Oma makes me feel closer to her.

As I write this column I am reminded of the time I spent with her.

I used to spend weekends with her where we would go on adventures. I smile as I think about a time when we went to the Tacoma waterfront and she let me bring home a giant clam I had found.

My mother wasn’t too thrilled about it, especially when it died from lack of fresh water and started smelling in the back yard.

I’m also reminded of the banana sandwiches she used to make me and the tiny cans of apple juice she always had in her pantry waiting for me.

When I spent the night, she’d always put me to bed before the TV show 60 Minutes started. I remember laying in bed, listening to that clicking clock.

That intro still brings me back to that bed.

Every time I wear the pearls I will be reminded of those times and the things that made my Oma so special to me.