A Generous Gift of Bugs

My friend Daves is one of those amazing gift givers. Over the years I’ve received some lovely things from him—a tiny Smythson of Bond Street leather travel folio, a Swedish amber ring, a plane ticket to Barcelona—but this year’s Christmas gift may be the most unusual: a Lucite bracelet with real beetles in it. It’s my favorite combination of gorgeous and bizarre, and I feel so… so fuerte when I wear it. I’ve always had a scarab fetish—oh yeah; add a carved turquoise scarab from Egypt to my list of great gifts from Daves—so it’s nice to have scarabish beetles circling my wrist when I write. Behold:

Daves is also Juliet’s Godfather, an excellent score for her. His first gift? A chic infant-sized red leather jacket. With this bond, I have secured her a lifetime of amazing gifts. This Christmas Daves gave her a stunning display of bugs, including a glorious giant scorpion. I suppose you’d have to know Juliet to understand how cool this is to her. Like the Lucite bracelet (and, in my opinion, all good things) it’s both gorgeous and bizarre.

Though seemingly lowly, Beetles are great animal totems. They represent metamorphosis, creation, resurrection, rebirth—perfect for starting a new year. Beetles bring new life and vitality and they can teach you how to pace yourself through the seasonal changes of the year. I sense my beetle bracelet will come in very handy in the depressing depths of February...