Heirlooms ~ Part 1

heirloom: a family possession passed down from generation to generation

Some of my most treasured possessions have been passed on to me by the women who came before me.

I remember when I was a little girl, I proudly wore the winter hat that my great-grandma, Marguerite, had knit many years before. It wasn't for just anyday...it was for Sunday best. It was gray, embellished with green flowers. It tied under my chin. Even as a child, this hat was special to me, partially because of the great love and painstaking effort my great-grandma poured into it.

You see, Marguerite lost one arm in a canning factory accident. Despite her "handicap," she continued to do the things she loved best. She found a way to continue knitting and embroidering. Last year I received an apron that she embroidered...a sweet reminder of her industry, her strength, and her dignity. While I never knew Great-Grandma Marguerite, I'm so thankful for the example she's provided me and subsequent generations.

Another of my cherished possessions is the wedding ring of my great-grandma, Clara. It's just a simple gold band with etchings, but it's made all the more special by the inscription of my great-grandparents' initials on the inside. Many years ago, the ring was passed on to my mom. She wore it for years. In fact, when I think back to my childhood and envision my mom's hands, I clearly see this gold band gracing her hand. Several years ago, my mom passed the ring on to me. So I wear the ring that was was worn by two generations of women before me: my great-grandma and my mom. How precious is that? I never take it off.

I'm thankful that I did have the pleasure of knowing my great-grandma Clara. She and I had a special relationship, and despite the fact that she died when I was just six, my memories of her are vivid.

I remember helping her made homemade vegetable soup. She let me dump in the peas! And she always had orange circus peanuts on hand for me.

I remember a kid-sized pink mop that she kept in the coat closet just for me. I loved to help her clean! She also let me "wash" her porcelain dog knick-knacks in the bathroom sink. Her bathroom always smelled of Dove soap.

I remember taking naps on the big brass bed that her own little ones napped on many years before. I clearly see an old antique lamp beside the bed in a room with a yellow hue.

I remember snuggling into her lap while she read me storybooks. Sometimes she'd pull out a cigar box filled with old black and white pictures and tell me the stories behind the faces. Come to think of it, maybe that's where my appreciation for our family's history began...

When Clara passed away in 1979, I was given one of her Bibles. A wedding ring and a Bible...precious reminders of my great grandma's commitments to both her husband and her God.

"You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep His charge, His statues, His rules, and His commandments always. And consider today (since I am speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, His greatness, His mighty hand and His outstretched arm, His signs and His deeds that He did...For your eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord that He did." Deuteronomy 11:1-3,7

My great-grandparents, John & Clara.