Hierlooms

                In Translating Tradition, we discussed the importance of heirlooms and legacies to our families. In my opinion, I think traditions and remembrances like these are very important for several reasons. They help to give you an idea of what the past was like. These belongings that belong to your ancestors help visualize some aspects of what how they lived a long time ago and what the world was possibly like back then. Heirlooms also help make you feel more connected to the members of your family that you have never seen before. These little belongings are basically the remaining traces of your ancestors. So, what has my experience with heirlooms been like? Let’s see.

                I don’t think I’ve received a lot of heirlooms and legacies from my ancestors, but I can think of a few items. My great-great-grandma on my mom’s side of the family had a sewing machine that my grandmother said she used all the time when she was alive. The sewing machine still sits in my grandmother’s basement. My great-grandfather on my dad’s side of the family also served in World War 2, and while we don’t have many, if any, items that acknowledge this, he passed down stories about it to my grandfather and then to my father. I’m sure there are more items like these, but I can’t recall any more and these are the only ones that stand out to me.

                I am not entirely sure what things I plan to pass down to future generations, but I have a few possible ideas. One item that I may consider passing down is the desk I use in my bedroom. My dad still has a wooden desk that my grandmother gave him as a kid that is in our house and is still used today, so I think the desk I have in my bedroom might be a good idea as well, especially if desks in the future become way more advanced than they are today. I may also pass down my backpack that I bring to school for the next generation. My backpack is one of the biggest I have ever seen, it can fit a lot of items in it, and I have used it since sixth grade, and it is still in fantastic condition. I think the next generation may like something a bit more useful than most backpacks, so I think it’s a good idea.

                As for heirlooms I wish I had received but my family didn’t get, I think some photos of my great-grandfather during World War 2 may have been nice so I could get an even better idea of what it looked like during that time. Speaking of photos, another idea that I think would have been a nice remembrance to have is more photos of my ancestors. There are a few photos of my ancestors, mainly in the house of both of my grandparents, but there isn’t a ton so I can’t visualize them quite as well as some people who have more photos of their ancestors might be able to.