Personal: What Do You Cherish?

Another Way for week of June 2, 2023

Personal: What Do You Cherish?

One writing “prompt” I stumbled across recently was “What personal belongings do you hold most dear?” Here are some of my top ones:

Photos. I guess at the tippy top of my list would be photos, especially of family and including those that go way back. I have one old old album that my Aunt Susie started and passed down to her only daughter. At some point her daughter, who was single and didn’t have any children, passed it on to my mother because she was the last living aunt/uncle relative in the family. It included some ancient photos of my Dad and other family members, but also many many photos of people that I have no clue about. Not sure what will happen to it after I’m gone and it is not my “most dear” album, but somehow I love it.

Recipe Box. I have a 50-year-old recipe box that I think I started when I was in college and living with a houseful of roommates (13) so I was actually able to do real cooking that year, and my senior year. It is very worn and old looking, but at least one of my daughters informed me it meant a lot to her.

Yearbooks. I have a love-hate affair with old yearbooks, partly because they are big and take up a lot of room. But when it comes to settling arguments about who was in what class, who a certain teacher was, or to introduce your children and grandchildren to some of your best friends, those books come in handy.

Tools. My husband was happy to “inherit” a few of Dad’s older tools that were in a tray in Mom’s closet.

Mom’s Stuff. There are too many mementos and dishes and even pans to name here and I’ve already talked about Mom’s Singer sewing machine and perhaps other stuff. But the sweater-jacket I picked up after her passing, that came in so handy for Mom and then me, is now lost. My fault. So it goes.

Books. My shelf has many books by many other authors, but the books I’ve written, I hope get passed down to my children and theirs. Because they’re the story of my life, and my husband’s, and our children too.

Children’s Books. I have enjoyed “kiddy lit” from way back and once our own children were born, I began to savor and treasure certain books more than others. Now I love sharing favorite books with our grandchildren. Who will get what?

Trophies and Certificates. Meh—not so much. They meant something at the time but I gladly will let my daughters dispose of them when the time comes.

Stuff from Aunts and Uncles. In the category of “oh dear what should I do with such and such…” I include a drawer of items passed down to us from Stuart’s aunts. They are special to me because I don’t really have anything from Stuart’s mother (who died before we were married, I never knew her, as I wrote a couple weeks ago). At some point I will probably donate the nail files and unknown souvenirs from someone’s travels, but a precious little purse crocheted by Estella (and used by several nieces and great nieces for fancy occasions like proms) will now be earmarked for my first (and at this point) only granddaughter.

Bibles. Finally, many of us have Bibles that are indeed precious. At last count, my husband and I have about nine Bibles between us. My favorite? Probably the one my parents gave me upon graduation from high school with my name engraved. I have already donated three or four copies of other Bibles in different versions, thinking someone else should surely get use out of them.

What personal belongings do you hold most dear?

What things rise to the top for you?

Have you gotten rid of things you now wish you hadn’t?

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Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. She is the author of ten books, most recently Memoir of an Unimagined Career. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.