06/24/2024
Yesterday a 31-year old lady came to our store, saying she was going to write a college paper about her experience in our store from 18 years ago. In 2006, she was a seventh-grader who was a garnet prize-winner in our writing contest. Today she sent me a copy of her finished assay. The lesson for me was to never take your words and actions for granted, for they may transform the rest of another’s life. Knowing that our writing contest was responsible for providing these lifelong memories for this girl and her mother has given me a joy I cannot express. I have included her entire report here:
Sharon Palomino
Professor Stacy Simmerman
English 101
23 June 2024
2nd Prize Letter
I was a 12-year-old Mexican girl that avoided the spotlight, found comfort in the side lines, and wanted to follow in my big brother Isai’s footsteps. I remember seeing his Honor Roll picture in the principal's office, twice! He set the bar high. As for me, I never accomplished honor awards nor 1st place trophies. The decorations I brought home were participation trophies and perfect attendance awards. However, I longed to bring something home for my parents to be proud of me. A heavy coat of disappointment weighed heavily on my shoulders.
Ms. Perez, my 7th grade Language Arts teacher, wore oversized square glasses, big dark red hair and spoke in such a proper manner. She announced to the class that there was a writing contest as the day's assignment. Hundreds of students from various schools and grades would enter as well. We were given the topic; Why Mom Deserves a Diamond. This opportunity was meant for me, and I was not going to waste it. Iripped out a new page from my notebook, grabbed my leadpencil and got to work. I closed my eyes and waited for a moment of inspiration.
Thoughts floated into my mind about everything my mom did for our family. Wake up calls every morning, making breakfast, packing lunches, cleaning, organizing, running errands, school drop off, school pick up, and making dinner. All while having a full-time job and a small business.
My mother who does all these To Do’s, is so much more than that. She is my Joan of Arc; a warrior who does not back down or give up when faced with adversity. Her upbringing is filled with poverty, an absent father, that was rarely sober, and a weary mother. Her childhood stories are about selling gum on the bus and walking in shoes with her toes sticking out. Shoes were not affordable for a family of eleven. At just 15 years old, she managed to move out of her country in search of a new life, away from the chaos that lived in her childhood home.
Time flew by and she was married, starting a new chapter in her life, the chapter of motherhood at 16. I feel an immense appreciation and gratitude for her, and I transmitted that into my poem. I desired to win the contest for her with all my heart, andto make my parents proud.
Once I finished drafting my small but mighty poem, I anxiously read it repeatedly to make sure it sounded pleasant to the ears. My classmates and I traded our papers to see each other's work. The sound of papers shuffling filled the air. Joshua read my poem in a funny country accent and teased me about my poem. I laughed it off and turned in my entry and forgot about the contest after that day.
A few weeks passed, and Ms. Perez received a letter with a list announcing the contest winners. I leaned forward on my desk, holding tightly to the sides of the table. I could hear every lub-dub of my heart pounding my chest. My ears were fully focused on her voice, and I was riddled with anticipation. She called out my name, Sharon Palomino, and I was frozen in time, everything stood still. The feeling of butterflies filled my stomach, Ms. Perez handed me the letter and there it was, I am a 2nd prize winner of a garnet gem!
I felt elated, as if I were in a dream, and could not believe what I just read. Out of all those students, I got 2nd place. Bursting with excitement I hurried home after school to tell my parents. I rushed my dad to drive us to the jewelry store, Gallery of Diamonds Jewelers, to pick up the prize. We arrived at the store, and we stood out. There were so many other students with their families that did not look like us. I felt out of place while simultaneously feeling proud to occupy a space where no one else looked similar to me.
I walked over to the shiny and bright glass counter where the jeweler handed me a pair of jeweler’s tweezers. I was told to select a gem out of the parcel. My eyes were mesmerized by the fiery red glow of the precious stones; I made my pick and placed it on my mom's open palm. Instant joy infected my smile. We hugged and my parents filled me with praise. I left that jewelrystore feeling a little taller, encouraged to enter the contest again. I began to believe in myself, and I felt I could win a diamond for my mom the next time around. I realized I too have the potential for academic accomplishments.
My experience does not end there. 18 years later, as I type up this essay, I was pushed to look for my poem entry from all those years ago by a force unseen. After all this time, I was convinced my powerful poem was long gone and forgotten. Nonetheless, I persisted and found the Gallery of Diamonds Jewelry store website. I emailed the store asking if they kept the writing entries from their contests, knowing it was a long shot, I hit send. Hours passed and I received a response. “Yes. We maintain all winning essays. If you lost your copy, you can always come here personally to write down or photo it for free...”
Similar to that evening, 18 years ago I scurried to go to the jewelry store. Flashbacks filled my mind as I drove up to the store and walked up to those shiny bright lit counters. My husband and I met the founder of the contest, Mike Watson, AKA, Diamond Mike. He charmingly shared the story of how this positive movement originated to recognize two moms- his birthmother and his adoptive mother. Diamond Mike found my entry and played my poem aloud for me to hear, and as much as I tried to hold them in, my eyes were instantly engulfed with tears. Today, I learned the impact of this contest has transcended generations, and I am honored to have been not only a participant but a winner! The heartfelt moment I experienced in Diamond Mike’s jewelry stores lives in me and my mom forever.
As my mom and I reminisced about that experience, she told me, “I never had the chance to read the poem, but I remember when you put the garnet in my hand, and I cherish it with all my heart. I was thrilled but more for the joy you radiated when you gave me the gem. Every time I look at the gem, I think of you.” Now that I found the poem and had the honor to chat with Diamond Mike, I plan to keep the tradition alive, read the poem to my mom in person and let her know that her daughter is a published author!
After reflecting on this experience, I can say that for me winning the 2nd prize was as if I had won a diamond. First place was never really the goal, but the motivation I needed to take a chance on myself. I did not win the diamond; I won something better, I received the 2nd prize letter.
“Mama, thanks for supporting me.
Mama, thanks for caring about me.
Mama, thanks for being a friend and special thanks to Mama for loving me.”
By: Sharon Palomino
2006 Garnet Winner
Number of Words: 25
Grade: 07
Works Cited-
Palomino, Sharon. Why Mom Deserves a Diamond: Beyond the Goddess Venus. Costa Mesa, California, Gallery of Diamonds Publishing.
