Seven Lucky Rings

I received something really precious the other day. Some of the girls from my mothers group gave me a silver necklace with seven lucky rings, each symbolising a long life, good friends, health, love, happiness, peace and wealth. The rings are also symbolic of each one of the extraordinary women and mothers in our group.

We were randomly brought together at the Maternal Health Centre through the birth of our first children five years ago. Up until very recently, we used to catch up every Wednesday which is quite an achievement, testimony to a great combination of nurturing, giving woman. The group of seven woman with eight children (one had twins) had increased to 18 children by the time our first borns were three years old, with incredibly another set of identical twin girls. Mothers group started to require much more space. Our first borns are at kinder and school this year, so it doesn’t leave a lot of time to catch up regularly anymore but we are all still together in spirit. Quite a few of us were scarred by the wrath of cancer when we met. Some fathers and stepfathers had been taken. It is totally crazy that I now have it.

I love my mothers group girls. It is one of the great things our state government and local councils do. Bringing new mothers and children together and building stronger communities of people.

The last time I wore a necklace it was 1996. It was a piece of leather string I threaded with a coin with a hole in the middle I found on the ground in Indonesia. There hasn’t been a lot of jewellery in my life. So I am going to wear this necklace throughout this cancer journey, drawing strength that all of these beautiful women are there with me. I will be wearing it when chemotherapy starts in nine hours.

I took my new necklace and new breast for a run the other day, and just like our mothers group catch ups, the rings clanked and chimed together and made lots of noise. Quite fitting really!