Pearls of wisdom...

"The fascinating thing about pearls is that they are conceived through irritation and grow slowly in layers, just as our lives do...  Like life and love, pearls thrive on skin contact and will lose their luster if not worn. Although pearls grow in darkness and distress, the luminosity of their beauty ~ born of imperfection, irritation, and, sometimes, neglect ~ like the woman who wears them, is only visible in the Light."

~Sarah Ban Breathnach, Romancing the Ordinary