The antiquities

Next weekend I am going down to my parents house to finish the sorting and dividing of my grandmother's things. Although I am hesitant about the process (ie; it has been stored in the garage for a year, it will be quite a process to clean them all up!) and the subsequent placement of such items in my home, (ie; where will I put all of it!) I am very pleased to think of seeing and handling grandma's precious things. It always makes me a bit misty eyed when I see the things that remind me of her the most, her antiques.

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Just the other day I was talking with dad about why I want some of her antiques. I explained to him that I am not interested in buying antiques from dealers or ebay or whatever. I will not be scouring garage sales for the oldest, most valuable items I can find. I don't collect antiques as a whole, I only collect Grandma's antiques. Grandma's antiques are far more valuable to me than any steal of a deal one could find on ebay. Grandma's antiques have a history, some are short (she bought it at a garage sale) some are longer (her mother/grandmother used it when she was a child) some are historical (the newspaper detailing what was going on the day she was born) some are familial (the dish she received for her wedding) but whatever the story is, it is important to me because it was hers, not because it could be valuable to another individual. Essentially, I am bringing home a memory of my grandmother, no matter what the size, type or age each piece is. They will never be sold or given away. They will be mine until I am unable to keep them any longer. They will be a little piece of her that I can see, a little piece that reminds me of her, a little piece of her story, her legacy and the memories that I have of her.

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When people ask what I collect, I tell them antiques. What I don't tell them is that I only collect antiques that belonged to her.