What's On My Charm Bracelet? - When Tania Talks

One Christmas, Dan bought me a charm bracelet with some charms he’d chosen for the bracelet. I’d always loved the idea of having a charm bracelet, as I’m quite a sentimental soul! So I wanted to share with you my charm bracelet and the memories each of the charms holds for me, as well as telling you which charms I’ve got my eyes on to add to my bracelet and why! Dan created my bracelet with charms from The Charm Works and I’ve marked the ones that he chose for me with ‘original’.

Trigger warning: Mention Of PTSD, domestic abuse and death of friends and family. None discussed in detail.

I’ve always been thrilled with the quality of the charms and how affordable they are. I wouldn’t have been able to afford to keep adding to my bracelet if they had been Pandora! The newest additions haven’t been fixed on to my bracelet yet.

Music Note – Original £8.70

This was for both our love of music. We both went to music college, Dan as a clarinettist/saxophonist and me as an oboist. We met and got together when Dan came to Birmingham to study as a postgraduate, while I was an undergraduate. It was hard for me to let go of this part of my life when my EDS made playing too hard and painful to continue. I have just discovered through my teaching that, though I can’t hold a tenor saxophone, the alto sax is a lot more comfortable so I’m going to try to pick that up and see if I can get back into music again, as I have fallen out of love with it since struggling to play.

Rabbit £15.60

I was in an abusive relationship and as a result, suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder. I used to travel to my parents house from the house I lived in with my ex and part of the line closest to where my Mum would pick me up from during that time had rabbits on. This became a symbol of safety to me. I’m sat here holding back tears as I write. I remember being in a pet shop with him and looking at the rabbits and I felt safe. The thought that went through my head was “I’m safe here, he can’t hurt me while I’m here.” I think that was just before I left. Dan used to take me in whenever we went past one, I knew I was safe, but needed more of a tangible reminder. As I improved, the visits to the pet shop became less and less frequent, but this charm will always be a reminder to me that I’m safe now.

Wishbone – Original £9.60

This charm came free with the purchase of 4 other charms (the music note, heart and the letters ‘D’ & ’T’)

Opening Church With Couple £12.50

Dan proposed to me in our hotel room overlooking the cathedral that we later married in after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve/Morning. We had put together stockings for each other and this charm was in my stocking as a momento of the proposal (as if Midnight Mass, the hotel and the ring weren’t enough to remember it by!). It opens up and has a couple inside and is one of my favourite charms on my bracelet.

Domed Heart – Original £11.40

Dan chose this charm because

Rose With Stem £7.50

When my Nan died, I decided to get a charm to her memory. Her given name was Eliza Rosina, which she hated. She went by Elizabeth Rose and everyone called her Rose for short. This was the last charm I bought.

The Letter ‘D’ – Original £14.40

Stands for ‘Dan’.

Swans £9.60

Who remembers the episode of Friends when Phoebe tells Ross that Rachel is his lobster? Well, I saw it and wanted to get a lobster for my charm bracelet. Dan wasn’t so keen on the idea of a lobster, but did say that swans mate for life too. I found this charm and was really taken with it, particularly that the 2 swans’ necks make the shape of a heart. So seeing as relationships are all about compromise, I bought this instead of a lobster!

The Letter ’T’ – Original £14.40

Stands for ‘Tania’.

Mortar Board £11.40

While I will always maintain that I fought for my degree rather than achieved it (a post for another day perhaps?), I still wanted to mark the occasion in some way as many people would have given up from just one of the many things I went through during this point in my life.

Tiny Cross £6.50

I bought this to mark my confirmation, which is when an adult or older child confirms that they wish to continue in the Christian faith in which they were raised. I received a cross necklace for my christening from my God parents, so though this would be a nice way to mark my decision to be confirmed. I’m going to get another though, as it’s too small. I should have known by the name that this would be smaller than the rest of my charms, shouldn’t I!?!

Charms I want to get:

Duck £17.50

A friend of mine, Becca, died nearly two years ago now. She’s someone some of you may know as she was a blogger and YouTuber, who I met at a meet up with some other bloggers in Birmingham. Becca died at a very young age of a kidney disease. She was an amazing girl, who I owe so much for encouraging me to start a blog and YouTube channel. Becca had a thing for ducks and I remember sending her pictures with the words ‘saw this and thought of you…’.

3D Pig in Barrel £7.75

My Great Aunt died not long after my Nan did. She and her daughter-in-law had a thing for pigs. They would send each other pig postcards, calendars, ornaments, etc. I will always remember these and think of her, particularly that there was always a pig calendar hanging on the wall in the kitchen.

Rounded Cross Charm £5

An alternative to my current cross

Do you have a charm bracelet? What do you have on yours?