Annie Flanagan sat alone on a loveseat in her grandparents’ den. She was at their house to celebrate her 18th birthday, and it being late in the day, the alcohol was starting to affect the crowd. Her cousins and uncles were getting loud and silly, as people often do, and Annie needed a slight reprieve.
She’d been escaping to this den since she was a little girl, the mahogany bookshelves and Tiffany lamp in the corner throwing off the perfect combination of peace and charm.
“There you are,” a familiar voice called from the doorway.
It was her namesake and grandmother, known affectionately as Nana Annie.
“Everything OK?”
“Yeah, just wanted a moment to me,” young Annie answered.
Her Nana crossed the room and gave her a one-armed hug, gripping her shoulder tightly with her wrinkled right hand. As she broke the loving embrace, a flash of light caught Annie’s eye. It was a charm bracelet her grandmother always wore, filled with trinkets and memories.
Seeing her granddaughter admire it, Nana Annie slipped it off, as she’d done a dozen times before, handing it over for inspection.
“You’ve always liked this.”
There were 24 charms—some with names or places, some with flowers or animals. Each meant something to her grandmother, and young Annie knew them well.
Well, all but one.
It was an old ship, a frigate from the Revolutionary War, with a tall mast and large, fluffy sails. Annie knew her Nana had rarely ever traveled and was unsure if she’d ever even been on a boat, so the meaning of this single charm had always eluded her.
She pointed at it and said, “What’s the deal with this one? You’ve never talked about it.”
“Everything you need to know about life is in that charm,” she answered.
“A ship?”
“It was a gift from my father on my 18th birthday,” Nana explained. “When he handed it to me, my daddy told me that ships hold the secret to life.”
“Tell it to me,” Annie said, shifting on the cozy seat to face her grandmother.
“First: Everyone knows the safest place for a ship is in the harbor, tied to the dock, but that’s not why we build them. True adventure is out at sea, where things are sometimes unsafe. Don’t be afraid to throw off mooring lines, set sail, and take chances with your life and your heart.”
“What else?” Annie asked.
“No one can run a whole ship alone, so find good people to help you on your journey. Not a large crew—just a few mates, or soulmates, you can truly depend on.”
Her grandmother continued: “Water represents a hostile world, and there are trillions of gallons in the sea; it’s all around you, but you’ll be safe if you keep the water outside your vessel.”
“What does that mean?” Annie asked.
“Be careful who you let in or share things with,” her Nana explained. “Also, barnacles attach themselves to the ship’s hull and slow it down. Don’t be afraid to cut people loose who don’t applaud your dreams or want what’s best for you.”
Annie studied the charm, again. “Do the sails have some special meaning?”
Her grandmother smiled, “Ah, yes. The sails. Sometimes, life gives you a welcome breeze; other times, you might be stuck.”
She took her granddaughter’s hand and said, “Just know that hard times never last, and tomorrow, another breeze will blow your way.”
As Annie returned the bracelet, the old woman unclipped the ship charm and placed it back in her granddaughter’s palm.
“For me?”
“Time to untether the ropes,” Nana replied. “Happy birthday, Annie.”
