my trunk

I'm not totally sure what a trunk sale is, but from what I understand it's when a seller 

brings goods somewhere to sell them. Maybe it's sort of like an old tupperware party?

 I was invited to trunk party for jewelry made by artisans in underdeveloped countries. 

The aim of the business is to give them a pathway out of poverty. 

The hostess had several goals in mind. As well as giving opportunity to purchase 

the jewelry, she was raising money for a family that is adopting a child from Africa 

(it seems these days it takes a community to do an international adoption.) 

Proceeds from jewelry sales go to the adoption fund. But that's not all. 

The party was catered by a local organization that provides 

jobs for formerly incarcerated women. 

And that's still not all.  

Sweets were provided by a sister company that works toward rescuing 

and rebuilding those who are victims of human trafficking.

A party scoring on so many fronts! 

I'm not a "big jewelry person" but I was disappointed I couldn't go.

 I decided to give a donation directly to the adoption fund.

But it got me thinking about the bits and pieces of jewelry I have picked 

up in our travels throughout the world. I went searching in my "trunk." 

Here are two favorites that my husband brought from Kenya. 

The darker beads are malachite. 

The larger beads are almost too heavy to wear around my neck.

Jewelry, women in need … lots of thoughts in my head,

but I'm mostly thinking about the little child,

patiently waiting through months and months 

of paperwork . . . to come home 

to his or her 

new 

family.