Here is the painting that inspired my story:
The Necklace by John William Waterhouse
Treasures of the Heart by Abby
It was the day of my 16th birthday, 1992, and I woke up to the smell of cinnamon buns. I breathed in the smell as I got dressed. I ran downstairs right as my mother was taking the buns out of the oven. "Happy birthday, sweetie," she greeted me. "Thank you, Mother," I smiled and sat down at the big kitchen table. Then Father and Grandpa came stumbling sleepily down the stairs. As they seated themselves at the table, Mother put a bun on one of her best china plates and served it to me with a grin. "Wait 'til you see what your dad and grandpa have for you," she looked at Father. He went into the other room and brought back a small wooden box. "Oh..." I breathed, as he opened it to reveal a beautiful necklace. "It was your gramma's," said my grandpa tearfully as he fastened it around my neck. I smiled as I thanked him. My grandma died two years ago, and she had been one of my best friends. “I made the box,” said Father proudly, “Look, it even has a space in the bottom for your Bible!” I leaped from my seat and ran into my room to get my Bible. As I passed my vanity mirror, the necklace sparkled and I smiled once again. It was so hard not to smile on your birthday.
It was a week after my birthday, and I wore the necklace every day, keeping it in the box with my Bible when I was sleeping. That box held my two most treasured possessions. One morning, I woke up and got out of bed to read my Bible at my vanity. I opened the box, but my beautiful necklace wasn’t there! I raced from my room and found my mother in the kitchen. “Mother, Mother,” I cried, near tears, “my necklace is gone!” We searched my whole room, and when Father and Grandpa got up, the whole house. “It’s no use!” I sobbed, “It’s gone!” I took my box and ran from the house to my favorite spot in the woods, a small pond where I often read my Bible and prayed. I decided to read my Bible, for comfort. When I opened my box, and took my Bible out, there was the necklace, shining as brightly as ever! I held it up to the sun and laughed.
After reading my Bible that morning, I showed my family the necklace. “I should have known,” my mother said, “the only place we didn’t look!” I smiled once again, now knowing that even though I loved my necklace, my Bible was my real treasure.
The End
