We are currently downsizing, in preparation for a move to smaller quarters. This is the time to pass family heirlooms and collectibles to an appreciative younger generation ready to carry on the tradition of storing past treasures. Except \u2013 who wants it? The family china that has been used by generations of ancestors \u2013 is it practical? Is it in style?\u00a0 The gleaming silver and the lace tablecloths once proudly displaced at large family gatherings.\u00a0 Who wants to store it, to clean it, to mess with it? It may be that material from our own childhood is significant to us, but it is less likely to be significant to future generations unless it somehow formed a part of their own upbringing. \u00a0China —\u00a0 \u00a0butter dishes, finger bowls, plus ivory napkin rings, \u00a0silver candle snuffers, \u00a0and silver trays to receive calling cards.\u00a0 Pictures of relatives long deceased, dated in some instances by Civil War uniforms. Pictures taken of dead babies, as a soulful memory image (eyes drawn in, open).<\/p>\n
We can associate stories of grandparents with people we once knew, but beyond that, they are all unknowns, faceless except for images in fading photographs and tin plates. And even if we do imbibe their stories at our mother\u2019s knee, is this necessarily good?\u00a0 The heroic stories of past Sheldons, Ottos. Andres; or Fran\u2019s relatives \u00a0— generations of Dudleys and Bradstreets at the founding of the Mass Bay Colony or signing the original incorporation papers of Harvard College (let along their responsibility for the whipping of the Quaker heretics).\u00a0 Poets and Supreme Court Justice (Anne Bradstreet and O.W. Holmes Sr and Jr). \u00a0But what do you do with their furniture? Is there an obligation to the past? Should there be?<\/p>\n
We find that antiques often sell for less than comparable new items that may not be as well made but are of a modern and practical design. \u00a0The old stuff did require some care, some maintenance, some love \u2013 and then it would last from generation to generation.\u00a0 But generations later, what purpose does it serve? Often its former usefulness no longer fits the needs of current times. Old buggy whips, anyone?\u00a0 \u00a0I have one.<\/p>\n
And finally, do we become victims of our \u201cstuff\u201d?\u00a0 My iconic image is a picture I took of myself on a solo backpacking trip a few years ago, carrying all that I needed on my back. It is very freeing. Not only to reduce the amount of our old stuff, but also to balance this with not acquiring unnecessary new stuff or stuff that will just break and be trashed and replaced by other breakable stuff.\u00a0 Perhaps this is basically a matter of discernment, of thoughtfulness. Take pictures of those things no longer filling a needed role (physical or emotional) and then move them on to some new home where they might be appreciated.<\/p>\n
Some things do have meaning.\u00a0 Perhaps not many. But do treasure those special few.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We are currently downsizing, in preparation for a move to smaller quarters. This is the time to pass family heirlooms and collectibles to an appreciative younger generation ready to carry on the tradition of storing past treasures. Except \u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=599"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":600,"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/599\/revisions\/600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.peacefulways.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}