The Jewelry Box

Josie was always a small kid who was kind and very understanding. She had lots

of friends and had a great life. She was athletic, funny, and just overall fun to be around.

She was all of these things, not anymore. Ever since the accident where her mom

passed away she has been the opposite. She doesn’t have many friends anymore,

besides Grace, who has always been her best friend. She has been greedy, and just

rude to not just kids, but teachers and adults, ever since that last April. Her attitude had

flipped as if she were a pancake on hot stove.

Josie lived right outside of Stowe, Vermont, with her dad, and two siblings, Eric

and Lydia. Josie who was 14 was the oldest of the three kids, right behind her was Eric

who was 4, and Lydia who was only 2. The little children were always running around

and playing around the house, and in the backyard. They never really understood what

happened in their mother's accident, only 7 months ago. Her dad was obviously affected

by the crash, but he tried to keep it together in front of the kids. Josie missed her mom,

but whenever people would bring it up or tell her, “I’m sorry about your mom,” she would

decline the apology and just act like it was nothing. She had always told any counselor

she had that she didn’t want to talk about it or that she shouldn’t let what happened in

the past affect her future.

As the family was getting rid of her mom’s belongings they only keep a old

jewelry box that had been handed down from generation to generation, which ended up

going to Josie. Everything else went in massive boxes to give to Goodwill. They wanted

to remember her mom, but not have everything be a living reminder of her.
 Josie didn’t really find comfort in owning the only thing that was her moms. She

had tried to bequeath it to her dad, but he always gave it back, and told her she will

want it one day. Every time Josie saw the box, it would just make her more melancholy

about the whole situation.

The next day at school, during 3rd period, Josie was called down to Miss.

Frederick’s , the guidance counselor’s, office.

When she walked in Miss. Frederick instantly greeted her, “ Hi, Josie! How are

you?” Miss. Frederick questioned as she pointed to the little, red chair sitting in front of

her desk.

“I’m doing alright,” Josie answered as she sat. She noticed that the room was as

hot as a sauna. She could feel the palms of her hands start to sweat.

“Well that’s good to hear. Now I wanted to talk to you about your grades. I know

you have been dealing with some things at home these passed few months, but all of

your grades have sunk to a C or lower.”

Josie shrank in the chair, not really listening to Miss. Frederick, instead she was

thinking of getting out of there and enjoying the schools flamin hot chicken nuggets

when it was time for lunch.

“Josie!” Miss. Frederick snapped noticing that Josie wasn’t paying attention.

Josie turned to her instantly, “I’m sorry, I was just thinking of what I need to do to

get my grades up.”

“Well, that’s good. I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about what

happened with your mom. I’ve noticed that you have not been as bubbly as usual lately.

Are you doing alright?”

 Josie rapidly responded, “ Yes, thanks for the help. I’ll let you know if I need

anything.”and she stormed out of the office.

At lunch Josie told Grace about what happened in the counselor's office and

Grace instantly responded, “ Maybe she’s right, you have been losing some of your

friends lately. You also haven’t been doing your homework, and you dropped out of your

lacrosse. I mean you love lacrosse! You act as if you were are a snake and everytime

someone gets near you, you hiss at them.”

“ I thought you of all people would understand but you don’t!” Josie yelled across

the table at Grace.

For the rest of the day, Josie didn’t speak to Grace or really anyone else. At the

end of the day when she got on the bus, she could feel the palms of her hands still

sweating as she sat down by herself on the bus.

When she finally arrived home she instantly went upstairs to her bedroom, and

layed in her bed. When she glanced over she saw the jewelry box and instantly felt a

rush of anger sweep over her. She thought that all of these things that were happening

to her were because of her mom and she felt as if she were a little kid again getting mad

at her mom for not getting her ice cream.

More anger was building up inside her by the second. The sweat had spread

from her palms to her forehead and it started to drip down her neck. The sweat rolled

down her skin as it would when standing outside in 100 degree weather. Except she
was inside and it was a cold, crisp fall day. The anger inside was grabbing at her inside

as if something was truly tugging at her.

She stood up and walked over to her dresser,and without a moment of hesitation

she slammed her mom's jewelry box at the ground and watched it crumble into many

small pieces.

All of the sudden, Josie no longer felt angry but doleful. It was as if the

connection she had had with her mom had been lost. Everything Josie had to remember

her mom had been demolished. She realized that it wasn’t because of her mom that she

was losing friends or getting in trouble, but hers. She had been dealing with it wrong this

whole time. Instead of acting as her mom was never around, she should have taken the

loss as a reminder that nothing good could stay and that she shouldn’t take things for

granted.

When her dad came up he saw Josie in tears.

“What happened?” He questioned looking down at his daughter and the jewelry

box.

He saw the troubled look on her face and said, “I’m sure we can fix it!”

Josie shock her head showing she had little to no hope that the jewelry box could

be fixed. Although, since she didn’t want to make her dad upset she tried to help

anyway.

After about 20 minutes her and her dad tapped together the box, although they

purposely left out a piece. They left it out to show the place where her mom used to be,
because the whole box fits together but something is still missing. The jewelry box now

didn’t represent her mom's death but represented her family as a whole.

The next day at school Josie apologized to Grace and told her she was going to

try to pick herself back up. Josie knew she wouldn’t make all of her friends back

instantly but she was hoping she would eventually, because after all her mom used to

always say, “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.”