The Stories Behind the Things We Keep

Most of us hold onto something handed down to us, whether from our parents or grandparents. Maybe you inherited your grandmother’s good china, your parent’s wedding silver, your grandfather’s pocket watch, an engagement ring, belt buckles, silk scarves, or a collection of crystal figurines … the list of what families consider heirlooms is long.

Even if we don’t display or use the heirlooms we were given, we find ourselves keeping them, maybe just to take them out and look at them occasionally. Most of the time, we hold onto these objects not for their inherent value but for their sentimental value. These are the items that move with us from one house to another, even if they’re never taken out of the moving boxes.

I have a collection of hand-stitched tablecloths, runners, and handmade quilts from my late Oma and my mother-in-law (our daughter’s Nana). While I only take them out for special occasions, the tablecloths have become part of our seasonal holiday traditions.

Which begs the question: why do we hold onto the objects passed down to us? In some cases, we may not even have been on good terms with the family member they belonged to. But for whatever reason, keeping one of their possessions feels like holding on to a part of them, and getting rid of these objects might feel like throwing away our family history.

However, if you have family heirlooms, it may be helpful to learn more about them. Consider how the object was acquired or received, what it meant to its original owner, and why they held on to it for so long. After a little research, you may decide that the story is more valuable than the heirloom itself, or alternatively, that a certain item holds more significance than you ever realized.

For me, one of these heirlooms is my great-grandmother’s engagement ring. I never met her, and the only stories I have are those my mother shared, but because of them, the ring carries a lot of sentimental value.

Similarly, a little research may help you decide whether recording the story behind the heirloom is more valuable than keeping it, especially if it’s lost its original function, like a broken watch or a faded photograph.

Start by writing down everything you remember about the object and the person who gave it to you, whether you knew them personally or learned about them from other family members. Would you still hold onto the object once you’ve recorded its story? Or would you part with it and keep the story in its place?