When my mother died, my brothers and I cleaned out her house. We each kept a few mementos, but the majority of her household goods were donated to a local charity. The items I kept are not valuable; they are meaningful only to me, because I know the back story.
Several years ago I belonged to a local writing group. One of the participants was writing a series of pieces on the things that she owned and treasured. These were ordinary items that took on significance because of their history. In describing a toolbox that had belonged to her father, she wrote about her relationship with her father and his gift for using tools. The piece was a glimpse into her childhood and her connection to her father. She explained to our writing group that she was writing about her things because when she died her children would inherit her estate and she wanted them to know the significance of some of her favorite things. She didn't want a piece of family history to become just an old toolbox in the estate sale.
Good idea, huh? So today I write about one of my favorite things: my copy of A.A. Milne's, When We Were Very Young.
My copy was published in 1925, so it was probably originally my mother's book. My name is written on the inside cover in my mother's hand, probably because I used to take it to school with me. I love the poetry and the word choices. I love that the poems paint a picture of an English life that I had left behind when my family immigrated to America. Now, I was almost 5 when we left England and what I picture of an English life probably has more to do with imagination than reality.
When I read "They're changing the guard at Buckingham Palace- Christopher Robin went down with Alice," I hear my mother's voice. When I read one of these poems to my grandchildren, I use the same tone and inflections that my mother used. The book is one of my favorite things because it represents, to me, my childhood.
So when it comes time to clean out my possessions, I hope one of my granddaughters will choose to save this little red book from the Goodwill pile and will read it to my great-grandchildren and remember when Nana would read "They're changing the guard at Buckingham Palace..."
Posts
It is the backstory that makes some things so meaningful, isn't it. I have a collection of things in my cedar chest, most of which have very little value or use. But their backstories, and the connections they bring to people and memories from my past are why I keep them.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right. I have a collection of rocks from my mother and they're just rocks unless you know that they were collected in Dover where my mother went to boarding school during WWII. I need to write that story.
DeleteI've mostly given my things away. It's good to see them at other people's homes.
ReplyDeleteSo many of the small item I've saved have no value other than family history. Who wants the shrapnel from my grandfathers head?
DeleteWhen people downsize and declutter, one of the questions they might ask is, "Do you love this?" For whatever reason. If the answer is yes, the item remains.
ReplyDeleteI have only two things that belonged to my mother, and she gave both of them to me before she passed away. One is a leaded glass polar bear I remember from my childhood. The day she gave it to me, it was being used as a doorstop to her guestroom. The other is a ceramic figure with its arms raised to the heavens.
When I see those pieces, they remind me of my mother in a good way.
Yeah, I think I've only saved things that have positive memories for me...probably I'm creating a false family history!
DeleteWe do make connections this way, and you are wise to begin this journey of telling the back story.
ReplyDeleteShould have started when my mother was alive to fill in the blanks. I'm going to visit my dad at the end of the month and I've got questions for him about some of my things.
DeleteI don't think I've ever had the pleasure of reading that book. Now it is on my list. What a wonderful thing to do, Nana: giving your own children the backstory to a treasured piece of your history. Thanks for sharing this with me. :-)
ReplyDeleteMilne is the author of the Pooh books. His son was named Christopher Robin. I was never a big fan of Dr. suess. Milne just manipulates words so well.
DeleteThat is a great way to keep family memories alive. It makes me sad that there are exactly ZERO precious physical items from my family's history.
ReplyDeleteNothing??? Perhaps we should go to an antique store and find you some!
DeleteThis actually caused chills to run down my spine. I love this story. I hope your granddaughters save this book. I think they will. And, I think they will remember you reading the book to them.
ReplyDeleteI also had this same storybook when I was young. It was not in the same red binding, but I had it. I loved that book! I have no idea what happened to it. I didn't see it with my childhood books when my mom gave me some of the books years ago.
Oh yes, very important. Leaving in Texas the sentimental pieces & some of my own things, I wrote the history of each piece so she could read them & know the story.
ReplyDeleteThe longer I know you, the more I find that we have in common. Now I'll be searching yard sales to find you a copy...there's no challenge to just ordering on Amazon.
ReplyDeleteWe go to a lot of estate sales and auctions. It is pretty amazing and actually sad to see what families will let go. I once purchased a huge box of handmade christmas ornaments at a yard sale. The daughter of the woman who made these beautiful items wanted to sell them because they did not fit her decor. I kept a handful of them which I hang on my tree each year.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that your grand daughters will lovingly hold onto to the precious story book that grandma read to them.
I have so many "things" that have special meaning to me around here. I doubt my (grown) children will find them special at all when I'm gone, although I'd like to think they might.
ReplyDeleteMonetary value means nothing (they will sell them anyway), but I would like the sentimental things live on.
ReplyDeleteI love that book, too! And as a child I loved hearing that same poem -- read by both my parents -- and I can still hear their voices in my head! Another book of poems I loved -- and still remember -- was Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses". Unlike you, however, the copies of these books are long... gone
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDelete