A shiny black Volvo wagon ... that's what I thought would signify I had arrived. That was early 90s or so and I'm not at all sure where I was expecting to arrive. Or what I thought I'd be wearing. My goals weren't the loftiest: I wanted to be a PTA volunteer and a 100% mother; the very best friend I could be and, according to my elementary school prediction of what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wanted to be a magazine editor. Ok, admittedly, done, done, done and done. Never did see the Volvo in the driveway, but that's not the point. At what road turn do we see the significant changes? When does the car in the driveway not matter? Technically -- never. That's what keeps us dreaming. The bar doesn't lower, it shifts neighborhoods and sometimes states. Today, I drove home from work in my son's 15-year-old Jeep because my own car is in need of repair. Today I revised a proposal for a lavish (read over-the-top) wedding, changed a few spellings and clarified a few phrases. Not for a fancy magazine but for a particular bride and groom's very important day and who, despite their sky's the limit budget, are marrying because they are in love. I have a handful of girl friends making different turns at the moment, too. A frustrated realtor exploring a different job to purse a more regular paycheck in a shaky economy, another friend who's job hunting in the years she didn't plan to be hunting again, without a real clue where she wants to land. Strong women are the rock of the world, and they come in all shapes and sizes, and emerge as needed in all stages of life. They raise families -- with partners or courageously alone -- and they build companies, committees and neighborhoods. They've learned that a few sniffles can't throw off a week's schedule, neither can a bad hair day, mismatched accessories, a smaller paycheck or a change in status -- romantic, wealth or otherwise. You're now curious about the title of this blog and why, indeed, we should always wear pearls? They bring back so many moments in life's journey, from add-a-pearls received at birth and proudly worn again in college, to a more classic bracelet worn as an adult. If it's a bad day it's like slipping on a piece of calm, a piece of "pretty" when it's not being felt, a piece of confidence when it's lacking, a piece of tradition when you need it most and it's just a reach away. Even strong women need a pick-me-up. And for every sweet little girl who will leave her own mark on the world one day: keep reading. I'll keep reminding you why we wear pearls and why we do indeed build neighborhoods and families and most of all, ourselves.