the tools.

In 2002 I made a bracelet for a friend of mine. I’d worn them on my own wrists for ages as reminders to myself, and he wanted one. They’re simple: 3 strands of floss (the kind typically used for cross-stitch) braided together.  I wear earthy colors, or reds, unless the colors need to be something specific.

Sitting in the Denny’s booth I pulled out my bag, told him to pick colors that reminded him of the things he wanted to remember, and handed him the box with all of the floss.

He picked three different shades of purple. I still don’t know what he was trying to remember.

He wore it for the better part of two or three weeks before the reason he liked it so much hit him. He called me up one day:

“You know that bracelet you made me?”
“The purples braided together?”
“Yeah, thank you for that.”
“No problem, but you’ve said thank you before. What’s different today?
“Today I was bummed out, I saw the bracelet, I remembered you and it made me smile. That’s some kind of magic.”

They weren’t named until shortly thereafter.  I made one for another friend, one who peripherally knew the first.  They ran into each other on campus, and spotted the bracelets on the others wrists.

Is that a benny bracelet?

Yeah, is that?

Yeah.

In that moment I was immortalized.  That year was an especially hard year for many of my friends, so I made many bracelets.  It solidified our bond, and created a small group of very close friends.  Too, during the months that followed, I started to fully understand the power of small reminders.  The bracelets had meaning for me, but never did they work so well as for my friends.  Every time they caught the bracelet in their field of vision, they thought of me and smiled.  Their day got better, just by seeing the bracelet, and knowing they were loved.

It’s been a while since I wore them regularly, or made them for anyone else.  I finally have a bracelet on each wrist again, but I haven’t made any for anyone else in years.

If things go the way they have started this year, no one will *need* the boost they provide, but it’s always good to know you’re loved.

reinvention.