Human Resources, Charmed Memories and Making a Connection: A Day in the Life Sunday

Charm braceletes did not really call to me. When asked what I wanted for my birthday, Mother's Day, or our anniversary, a charm bracelet wasn't ever at the top of my list.

Now, I wear a charm bracelet almost every day. The things we do for our kids. With the dad's financial resources, the kid bought me a charm bracelet. She saw a commercial for Charmed Memories and decided that I had to have one for Christmas.

I wouldn't trade it for the world. Not because of the beads themselves but because the kid picked them out and asigned each bead a meaning for us as a family.

As we were looking at 2 new beads to add, somehow, in this HR-warped brain of mine, I started thinking about supervisors, leaders, and staff.

Short of buying a charm bracelet for each of your employees, staff, mentees, etc. what if you offer them a bead the next time you speak with them? What if you were to make it a point to make a connection with each person.

Think of a colleague. If you were to connect with them tomorrow, not a way that's important to or easy for you, but in a way that has meaning to them, what would you say or do differently?

The strand is unfinished and you have to know that I am fighting the demon inside of me that can't leave things unfinished to finish this sucker off right now. 

I am looking at both Charmed Memories and Pandora and I don't see any "I heart HR" beads. Darn.

Collectibles, Dust and Memories: A Day in the Life Sunday

I don't collect things.

My aversion to having to pack and unpack a bunch of tiny little things each time I moved from home to college, college to military and station to station and then <here's my tipping point> having to dust the nooks and crannies of the not-so-precious figurines was enough for me to swear off collectibles as a young adult.

I'd be open to a nice collection of Swarvoski jewelry or another Charmed Memory for my bracelet but I don't have any interest in an accumulation of bric-a-brac, curios, whatnots or knickknacks.

Except for one - Vintage Josef Originals.

Likely a birthday gift for me as a young child, the August Birthstone Doll is a piece of my childhood sharing space with my adult life.

With a broken arm, chipped paint and dusty creases in her dress, the birthstone doll has traveled from home to college, college to military, and back home again.

I want to share the same with my January-born daughter.

The husband, kid and I like to peruse antique stores every now and then. My tolerance for too much stuff in one place is much less than theirs but I am on a quest.

The last January Birthstone Dolls were made in 1985. I know one could be on my doorstep tomorrow via eBay, Etsy, or Tias but I don't want to order, I want to discover.

In my quest, I discovered a graduation and a wedding dolls I didn't even know I was looking for. Score! I have the dolls set out  - not tucked away behind glass or in some closet  - so they are a part of our every day happenings.

Will they hold memories for the kid as she grows? Who knows but with 2 already here, another coming and my aversion to collectibles hovering in the background I've hit my limit with Josef Originals.

What have you carried with from your childhood to your adult life? What are you saving for your children? Do you collect? What do you collect? Why do you collect?