Christmas Mansion Tour Mystery: The Missing Diamond Earring

I’m setting aside my Christmas decor today, and sharing a beautiful Christmas love story that wrote itself just a few weeks ago here in our part of the beautiful state of Michigan. Don’t worry though, you’re going to absolutely fall in love with the gorgeous photos I took during the “Christmas Mansion Tour”…and the mystery of the missing diamond will take it all over the top. Merry Christmas, my dear friends!

Christmas Mansion Tour Mystery: The Missing Diamond Earring

I remember putting on my diamond earrings my husband gifted me just a few years ago for Christmas, in our master bathroom while I glanced at the clock. I remember realizing how late we were, so I began multi tasking by asking Rick, my helpful husband, if he could put my necklace on while I worked on the earrings. I don’t remember putting the right earring in, but I do remember the left. Believe it or not, I think we all follow the same rituals as we “get ready”, and that includes what earring you usually put on first.

Richard came to my aid ♥️, and as far as I remember, both diamond earrings, and my diamond necklace were in place. I was now set to head to the mansion with my husband, and family. So…what mansion am I so excited to go see???

Meadow Brook Mansion (Meadow Brook Hall)

The Meadow Brook Mansion is a breath taking historic Tudor-revival home that was built in the 1920’s, located in Southeast Michigan on Oakland University’s Campus. This quite impressive estate was built by the widow of the founding brother’s of Dodge Motor Company. Matilda Dodge Wilson, who married again after her first husband, raised her children, and grandchildren here, until decades later it became a museum and part of Oakland University.

Ironically enough, after I graduated with my Bachelors degree in Elementary Education in Buffalo, New York, I followed my love to Michigan, and finished my Masters studies at Oakland University while my husband and I began our lives together here as a young couple. Our story literally unfolded four miles down the road from the mansion, and it took me 35 years to visit. What in the world took me so long???

We went on the tour and had the most incredible time with our grown kiddos, and my sister- investigating, and fantasizing in this gorgeous untouched part of the past that has literally lived beside us through our life together. We were all fascinated to learn about the history behind the “mansion” that Rick and I never slowed down enough to go visit in all of our years together. Someone was speaking to us, for sure…we were finally slowing down to see the beauty and history right in our backyard.

The mansion tour was absolutely breathtaking as you can imagine from my photos. On top of all the Christmas decor, and history lessons, we were captivated by the mysterious spirits we felt while we completed our journey. It was as if Matilda and the loves of her life were all still there, and they were following along beside us. It kind of felt like they were saying, “What took you so long to stop by, Julie?”

The photo below was taken just before the tour ended, and long before I realized my diamond earring was no longer on my left ear. After I got home and finally realized my diamond earring was missing, I looked to see if I could see it “on” in the photo. Sure enough my earring was only on one ear so now I had substantial proof that the diamond earring is in that mansion 😲.

I know what you’re thinking…did she call the mansion, did she check the truck, the parking lot…yep, we did it all. Let me tell you that looking for a silver diamond earring amongst snow, and ice-melt crystals on ice is not something I recommend 😆. I decided to let it go, and remember that this story means way more to me than any earring could. It’s not about the diamond earring, it’s about Rick and I.

Rick and I started out right down the road where Matilda Dodge Wilson built her mansion that has given back to the community ten fold. She was quite an amazing woman, endured tremendous loss, and I recommend learning more about her and all she represents as a woman in that era.

Rick and I were 23 & 26 building our own “mansion” right down the road many decades later in the tiny one bedroom apartment we cherished for not the diamonds, but for the dreams we shared there of a life together. We were building a foundation for our future children much like the foundation Matilda built for her family, and in the end, for the community to enjoy. My diamond earring will forever be a mysterious part of the Meadow Brook Mansion, and our spirits will continue on there forever.

Merry Christmas!

Love, Julie