Have you ever experienced a moment in your life when a situation seems to speak directly to your heart, and you simply know it to be true?
I had one such experience recently, and I am overjoyed to share it here.
The day I returned home after a two-week visit with family, I was unpacking my bag when I noticed that another charm on my handmade brass bracelet was missing. My colleagues and I had made these bracelets during a group activity. We each had hundreds of charms to choose from, though we were limited to selecting just four.
I remembered helping a friend create one for her daughter during that session. I loved asking her about what her daughter liked; it was a brief but deeply meaningful conversation. Being in that observer role allowed me to glimpse a mother’s perspective—holding space for a daughter living far away in a foreign land.
As for my own bracelet, each charm was chosen with care:
The Blue Heart: A tiny heart, filled with small blue crystal embedded in brass to remind me of self-love (I feed on love).
The Solitaire Stone: An octagonal, diamond-like stone set in a brass cap. It felt so me—I’ve always loved single stones in jewelry, especially rings, much to my mother’s gentle complaining!
The Rainbow: A brass rainbow with five arches, symbolizing a quiet promise that everything is and will be fine. Where the arches ended, it featured a tiny outlined heart and a star.
The Clover Flower: A tiny brass clover with vibrant enamel colors on each petal. I had fallen for it instantly—love at first sight. I’ve always been fascinated by clovers, especially after learning how rare it is to find a true four-leaf clover.
Over time, the charms began to slip away. First, I lost the blue heart. I told myself, It's okay, maybe a little girl will find it somewhere like a hidden treasure and feel loved. Then I lost the single stone, though I had no idea when or where. I let it go with gratitude, thankful for the joy it brought me while I wore it, almost daily.
When I traveled home, only the clover and the rainbow remained. But upon my return, another had disappeared. My heart whispered, Maybe this is nature's way of telling you that you'll finally find a real four-leaf clover—the kind you’re always searching for in gardens, parks, and grasslands during the monsoon.
I held onto that gentle thought, shared a laugh about it with my neighbor, and eventually let it fade into the background.
Until this morning.
I was arranging my diaries and books in my backpack for work, making room for my water bottle. Right there at the bottom, resting against the bright yellow lining of the bag, was the enamel clover. Its vibrant colors were practically smiling up at me.
I paused, took a breath, and smiled right back.
Indeed, I found my four-leaf clover. 🍀
