Tiffany & Co.

A “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” poster hangs over my bed in Emporia and another one graces the wall over my night stand in Kansas City. Anna and I also have an Audrey Hepburn poster framed in our living room. I have never seen the movie all the way through. I tried once my freshman year of college one night when I had the room to myself, but just couldn't get into it. I have been meaning to try to watch it again because it is a classic and for some reason I have a thing for it and Audrey Hepburn as she keeps taking more and more wall space in my life.

My sister got a Tiffany’s necklace a couple years ago that I’ve always thought was cute and I wanted to get something like it myself. When I started to work at Fazoli’s over the summer, I soon discovered that customers would leave a little tip here and there for us that we could take. I decided I would save all of mine and get something special for myself. It didn’t take long for me to decide that it would be a Tiffany’s necklace. While other people would spend their tips that day on food and snacks, I would stash whatever I had in my pockets for the night and then empty them into a fishbowl I placed over my TV as motivation. Soon it was starting to pile up over time.

I had to stop working at Fazoli’s during the semester due to school. My sister got me an amazingly special necklace for being her Maid of Honor in her wedding that says my name on a heart charm and then Sparkle & Shine on a circle charm. I decided I didn’t want to get a necklace from Tiffany’s because I wouldn’t want to have to always alternate and pick and choose which necklace to wear. I already wear bracelets and watches, but what I didn’t really have much of or wear are rings. That’s when I decided to change what I wanted to a ring.

I counted the money I had saved from tips and I had enough to cover half of it. My goal was to have enough by my birthday so I could have it as a gift to myself. I only had about a month to save, so I started to work more hours at work and tried to cut back on spending money. There were times I thought I might not be able to get it my birthday weekend and might have to wait until Thanksgiving break until I had enough money.

Things worked out though and I was able to get it the day before my birthday! My sister took me before we went out to dinner at my favorite place. I was all dressed up in my black dress from the wedding and pink heels with rhinestones. They even had my size there at the store. It was so pretty with all the lights, all the sparkle. I felt a little like Audrey Hepburn. The two women that helped me gave me a little bag tied with ribbon along with a ribbon tied box. I was able to wear my ring out of the store.

Now, there is a lot of meaning that goes into this. This isn’t just me buying a birthday gift for myself. This ring means a lot to me in many ways. One of them is the fact that I was able to set my mind to a goal and achieve it. A goal that involved saving money. I am now in my second year of having to pay my own bills and groceries as I live on my own in college. My first year, I was not successful in budgeting and I ended up over spending money. It was definitely one of the biggest failures for me yet and I don’t know if I had ever been that disappointed in myself. I am still learning and still catching up, but I am definitely more aware of cutting back. This occasion let me know that I can save up and I can work hard to get something that I want. I made it a point to save on my own. I didn’t want help or to use birthday money. I wanted to use my own money for it.

Another thing that makes it important to me is the symbolism of independence and empowerment. I wore a ring for a long time from someone in which I depended on for way too much. I was depending on somebody to buy me things, take me out all the time, and make me happy. Something that my Mom has told me more than once is to not depend on someone else to make me happy. That is what I was doing for a long time. It was as if it had gotten deep into me and it has taken quite some time and experience to undo that and learn how to make myself happy. Now I am so much better at being on my own, being independent, strong and empowered.

When I first thought about the idea of getting myself a ring from Tiffany’s, it almost seemed like a radical one. How many girls do something like that? This made me reflect on the views and ideas of society and how it works. Are we supposed to wait until we find a great guy that is willing to buy us one? It kind of seems crazy to me. Sometimes I do feel a little odd when I tell people that I bought myself a ring because it doesn't seem like a normal thing to do. Maybe I am a little weird to do that according to society standards, but I am okay with that because I wanted to prove to myself that I could save up and work hard for it and that I can be independent and make myself happy. I don’t really have time to wait around for a guy to buy me one either. Let’s just try something simple like going on a date and I’ll be happy with that. And I can’t help that I like the ring and I think it’s pretty!

Sparkle & Shine,

Rachel