There is a cute story to the spoon in the photo above. Several weeks ago I was cleaning out a drawer and came across an old jewelry box I had forgotten about. I opened it up and along with some old jewelry from my teen years was this silver spoon. Well, it was actually black because of sixty years of tarnish. Once I cleaned it I noticed it had my name engraved on it. I found a shop on Etsy that turned it into a ring for me. Now I can enjoy it a whole new way! I didn't know who had gotten it for me so I asked my cousin if she knew. She told me that it had been her! I was so excited because I love this cousin so much and she is also my Godmother. This makes this spoon even more special. I have this vision of my granddaughter wearing this ring as an adult or at least tucking it away with her special things. I'll bet that when my cousin bought that spoon she never in her wildest dreams would imagine me wearing it as a ring sixty years later!
Family heirlooms don't have to be expensive pieces of jewelry that are passed down for generations and generations. They can be anything that is loved and cherished by the original owner or the loved one(s) who want the items for reasons that may be special only to them.
When my bonus dad passed away in 2015, there were a few things that our family wanted to keep for very special reasons. For example, my brother wanted his WWII items. While cleaning the basement out that year, I was lucky to find his war documents. Right now they are in a fireproof box in my studio. I pull them out regularly to look at them. I also kept his gloves, a jacket, and a scarf. I wanted those items because he was always worried about everyone being cold. He loved his family so much and always wanted them to be happy and comfortable. My daughter wanted one of his handkerchiefs and white undershirts. He was the King of cooking breakfast and when the kids would be there overnight or for breakfast, he'd be in the kitchen in his white shirt cooking up a storm! Such simple items that bring comfort to those he left behind.
Another thing that you'll find in my fireproof box is the many letters and notes my kids wrote to me while growing up, and even after they grew up. Some of them are sweet and loving while some are just plain silly. But I love them!
I'm not a materialistic person, but I do enjoy looking at and holding things that remind me of a special person or time.