This Father’s Day will be the first one since my Father died. I’m not going to lie, I hate it. For me, the anticipation of something negative is always worse than the actual event, so I’ve been a bit of a wreck the last few weeks. After the third or fourth time bursting into tears when I heard about or thought about Father’s Day I actually asked my husband if we could celebrate his Father’s Day a few weeks early. I just don’t know how I’m going to be on the actual day I would feel terrible if I wasn’t able to celebrate what a great father my children have. So the first Sunday in June, we had Father’s Day and it was lovely and my husband felt loved and appreciated. I also have all the pressure off of me, and it feels nice.

Sorry for the sidetrack, back to my Dad. For months now, I have been wanting some way to memorialize my Father. A few months ago I had thought about doing a memory locket, also called a floating or living locket for myself, my mom, and sister. I loved the idea of being able to pay tribute to some of the things my Dad loved but in a cute, stylish piece of jewelry that I would treasure. I finally got it together and ordered the lockets and charms. I love how they came out. I also love that it can be a great conversation starter. Talking about someone that has passed can be awkward for both parties. It doesn’t need to be, but it totally can be. Now if someone notices my locket I can take that opportunity to share about my Dad if I want to.

If you haven’t seen one before, you can open the locket and place the charms inside. The lockets I purchased are closed with a magnet, other lockets screw apart.

The lockets I purchased were 30 mm which equates to a size large from companies like Origami Owl or South Hill Designs. At least from the best I could tell during the research I did. The 30 mm lockets comfortably fit 8 charms, and depending on the size and shape of the charms, I could probably fit a few more. I’ll briefly tell you about the charms I bought

• In Memory of (hopefully that is self explanatory)
• Dad/Husband (again, self-explanatory)
• Camera – My Dad was a great photographer both as a hobby and professionally.
• Lighthouse – My parents loved to travel and one of the things they loved to do was see and photograph lighthouses.
• Sand Dollar – He also loved the beach. Not to mention that lighthouses are found around water.
• Guitar – When my Dad was younger he played guitar. He loved music.
• Fishing Rod – my Dad loved to fish and would take his boat out when he could, although it wasn’t nearly often enough.
• CTR Shield – CTR stands for Choose the Right. It’s a bit of a symbol of the LDS faith and something my Dad always tried to do.

Where to buy:

• Origami Owl and South Hill Designs are both business that sell the lockets and charms. If you have a friend that sells them, I recommend supporting them  in their business. A lot of times you can get discounts or free products for hosting a party.
• Amazon: Lockets –  Charms
• Ebay: Lockets – Charms
• Etsy: Lockets – Charms

A word of caution when ordering online. A LOT of these products are being sold from China. Be aware of shipping times and know that sometimes you get what you pay for. Amazon, Ebay, and Etsy all list either an estimated arrival date, where the product is located, or both.

I love my locket and I think my sister and mother love theirs too. I like that we all have one and it ties us together with my Dad.

Whatever your family circumstances will be this Father’s Day, I want to wish you a happy and peaceful day.