50 Of The Coolest Things That People Inherited From Their Relatives
Interview With ExpertHeirlooms and traditions are meant to be protected and respected. They’re what help connect all the different generations in your family tree with a shared heritage. Not only that, but they’re often very physical reminders of the people we love who have passed on.
Bored Panda has collected some of the most impressive and unusual examples of family heirlooms ever from all around the internet. It’s proof that you don’t have to inherit a chest full of jewels and gold doubloons for something to be valuable. Scroll down to see what some families’ legacies look like.
Bored Panda reached out to Jodi Wellman, MAPP, for a chat about leaving behind heirlooms and positive legacies for our heirs. She was kind enough to answer our questions and you'll find her insights as you read on! Wellman is a speaker, author, and leadership coach, as well as the founder of 'Four Thousand Mondays.'
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My Uncle's 56-Year-Old Tortoise, Which He Inherited From My Grandparents
Many of us have lots of possessions that we could potentially pass on to our relatives because we think they're valuable. However, some of those items might be clutter that we simply have a hard time letting go of because we've been around it for so long. We asked Wellman, the founder of 'Four Thousand Mondays,' about how we can tell if an object is truly meaningful.
"From a practical standpoint, if you're unsure of the financial value of an item, get an expert to appraise it. For most of us, we're more concerned with the emotional value of an item, and we need to learn to be okay that we probably won't offend the ghosts of our ancestors if we donate their lace tablecloths," she told Bored Panda in an email.
"When in doubt, play the 'Will I Regret This' game with yourself; if you donate Uncle Hector's hubcap collection, for example, will you wake up with a sinking feeling of regret? Or will you generally feel okay with yourself? If it's not worth much, donate it or sell it and get it out of the house."
Tool Shrine I Built To Showcase My Father's And Grandfather's Tools I Inherited
A Family Member Passed Away And I Inherited Their Cat
According to Wellman, one of the best ways to determine if we should keep something that we think is precious is to ask the person we're saving it for. This cuts out a lot of guesswork and gets straight to the center of the issue. You could, for instance, ask them: "Would you like your great-grandmother's tea set from 1912?"
"If your apparent heirs roll their eyes, maybe you sell the tea set at a consignment store. Ask your next of kin what they'd like to hold onto for sentimental or financial reasons, and then purge what you can muster."
Wellman explained to Bored Panda that we don't need fancy things to pass down to our heirs. "A positive legacy is a transmission of personal values; it's how others approach their lives as a result of having gotten to experience us," she said.
My Paternal Great-Grandfather, Harry, Proposed To My Great-Grandmother, Edith, With This Five-Stone Opal Engagement Ring Full Of Fire. I Inherited It After My Grandmother Passed Away In 1990
Not sure of the year they married, but my grandfather was born (in wedlock) in 1908, so the ring and box are 113+ years old! The box is as fascinating as the ring. It is leather, velvet-lined, hinged, and secured with a latch hook. Most importantly to me, inside the ring, alongside the Maker's Marks, is the inscription "With Harry's Love".
Chess Set/Table I Inherited From My Grandfather
I Just Inherited An 1864 Steinway & Sons Style 1 Rococo Grand Piano
"Think about how people will remember and be influenced by your character, the examples you set, your ethics, the stories you told, the paths you paved for others, the things you built and contributed, the knowledge you shared, the silly idiosyncrasies, the way you made people feel after you left the room."
For some deep dives about living life to the fullest, feel free to take a look at Wellman's 'Four Thousand Mondays' website. You can also use her calculator to see how many Mondays you have left to live. It quickly helps put your goals and priorities into perspective.
My Grandma's Prized Calamondin Orange Tree, Which I Inherited. She Passed Away Last Week
My Grandfather's Pencil Sharpener Collection I Inherited
Some backstory behind this: my grandfather died before I was born. My family always told me how genuinely nice and cool he was, even to strangers. Growing up, whenever I visited my grandparents' house, I would see a shelf proudly displaying his collection. My grandmother passed away when I was 18 or 19, and none of my father's six siblings or my father himself were going to claim the collection of sharpeners. I couldn't let it go to waste.
Inherited This From My Grandpa. He Bought It New
No matter how wonderful or extravagant inheritances can be, they can be emotionally messy and physically tiring to sort out. First of all, you’re likely still mourning the loss of a loved one. If you were particularly close, you will need lots of time and support to accept what has happened, to heal, and continue living your life. So, you’re probably not even thinking about what heirlooms they left you in their will.
Another issue is that even if you loved someone very dearly, you still most likely might have to give up some of the things they left you. Unless you have a very large home or you’re blessed with plenty of storage, you couldn’t possibly accommodate every tiny little thing they were sentimental about, from furniture and photo albums to hobby knick-knacks and a hundred different dolls they collected.
This Miniature Leather-Bound Library Of Classics I Inherited From A Friend, All No Bigger Than My Palm
I would love this! I have a thing for books with a story (pun intended.)
Went From A 2-Person Backpacking Tent To This 1981 Pop-Up Trailer That I Inherited From My Grandpa. Feels So Elegant
My Grandparents Had This Lamp In Their House Since At Least The Early 70s. Pretty Sure It Was A Ceiling Lamp At One Time, But I Inherited It And Kept It As A Desk Lamp
To my surprise, it’s made from uranium glass.
If your relative was a particularly energetic collector (or had a gentle inclination toward hoarding), you might find yourself having to sort through boxes and boxes of things.
Some of these items might be historically valuable, and you’d like to keep them. Others might have had a deep sentimental value to their original owner that might be lost on you.
But the reality is that many of the things you’ve inherited may have no real place in your home. You might not want them, or they might simply not (physically) fit at home. And holding on to hundreds of things out of guilt is no way to go through life.
Some of the items you find while sorting through your loved one’s home might be worth selling or donating to charity if they’re in good enough condition. Others, inevitably, might have to be thrown away… or subtly given to your other relatives to see if they’d like them.
Made A Bar Of Soap Out Of My Father-In-Law’s Inherited 110-Year-Old Soap Press For His Birthday (Stanley Soap Co. Est. 1865, NYC)
Stanley is indeed their family name. His great-grandfather was John T. Stanley, who emigrated from England to the United States in 1860 at the age of 17. He was skilled in soap and candle making at the time however, his first job was in collecting animal fat from around the city. Now my history of how he parlayed this trade into soap making is a bit hazy at the moment but I’ll be sure to get the full story after we blow out some candles on my father-in-law’s cake.
It sure is in good condition! That's kind of a neat little piece of history & seems to work well!
Authentic 1910 Singer Sewing Machine Inherited From My Great-Grandmother. Still Works
My Best Friend Passed Away Unexpectedly A Few Months Ago. We Were Both Hardcore Gamers And I Inherited His Tangible Collection And Added It To My Much Smaller One And Made A Tribute To Him
Some of these things he had since he was barely out of diapers. There are so many gems here.
AARP suggests going through your family photo albums one at a time to figure out which pictures your relatives may want to keep in the future. From our perspective, all photos are valuable. However, from a practical standpoint, you need to prioritize what you leave behind if you have dozens and dozens of albums.
The same goes for toys, furniture, artwork, etc.: ideally, you sort out what’s worth keeping from what you have a superficial attachment to. It really helps if you have someone you care about by your side as you’re doing some spring cleaning. Another perspective is often helpful.
I Just Inherited This Moon Globe From My Late Grandmother. The Far Side Has A Blank Area As It Was Still Unknown When The Globe Was Made
Great-Great-Grandmother's Necklace
By request, here is the other piece of jewelry from my great-great-grandmother! Unfortunately, there are no maker marks on this one or that's the case, either.
A Massive Wrench I Inherited. Weighs Over 30 Pounds. Novelty Or Functional?
At the end of the day, you choose what to do with your inheritance. If you’ve been handed down a gorgeous signet ring, massive family photo album, gilded spellbook, stylish car, high-quality tools, or a magical sword, then everything’s pretty clear: you take good care of these items until you can pass them on to the next generation.
In this case, it’s very obvious that these items have a long and storied history that’s worth preserving.
My Grandma Recently Passed. This Is What We Inherited From Her
A Masonic Ball That My Grandma Handed Down To Me After Passing
First I Inherited An Awesome Tankard. Now I Get This Cocktail Shaker With An Awesome Twist
It allows you to select which cocktail you want to make, and it even tells you which ingredients and quantities you need.
It can be a huge help if the person leaving behind their things mentions what is and isn’t important and why in their will. It’s easy to assume that absolutely everyone will know not to throw away a respected family heirloom, but not everyone might know their own history in such detail.
If the heirloom is slightly unusual (like a vintage toaster, quality iron waffle maker, or old-timey radio), you might need some guidance and a gentle reminder that what you have is genuinely good, even if it doesn’t glitter like gold.
I Inherited This Toaster From The 1920s Around 10 Years Ago And It Has Worked Great Every Single Day
That's a handy design, because I could use my index finger to monitor the toasting process by applying a gentle pressure on the bread, but that requires a lot of dexterity...👉🏽 🍞 👈🏽
I Just Inherited This From My Late Grandfather And I've Not Smiled This Much Since He Left
I Inherited This Handmade Gold Ring After My Father Passed. My Mom Told Me It's Been Passed Through The Family For 400 Years. I've Never Known What It Says, Nor Did He
"Congratulations 5371" which was the year 1610 or 1611.
All that being said, it’s a reminder that you shouldn’t rely just on your will to remind everyone that your family has an important legacy to preserve. It’s very important to maintain this living knowledge throughout your life. A big part of that is doing research into your family’s roots, recounting stories from the past, and maintaining family traditions.
I Inherited A Century-Old Cast Iron Waffle Maker This Christmas. It Still Cooks Amazing Waffles
It’s not quite 100, but it will be in the next year. My great-grandfather purchased it new. I remember eating waffles fresh out of it at my grandmother’s house thirty years ago. My mom has had it for the past fifteen years and decided to gift it to me this Christmas, as she knows I love cast iron cookery.
Truly awesome! I would so love to have breakfast from something like this!
I've Inherited All These Things
My 100-Year-Old Grandma Died In January And I Inherited Her Recipes. We Were Really Close, Shared A Love Of Cooking And I Am Excited To Try Them Out! First Up Is Her Coffee Cake Recipe
That's one of my projects to do - print out, write, cut out, whatever, just make a big folder of all my favourite recipes.
Now, the family traditions themselves don’t have to be anything overly elaborate—though they can be! What’s important is that your family has traditions and you all get together, not the specific details of how you do things. Getting together for a meal every Sunday can be a wonderful tradition.
It might even eventually turn your pancake pan or waffle maker into veterans of a thousand brunches and highly coveted heirlooms. However, keep in mind that the items themselves have to be made of quality materials and with excellent craftsmanship to stand the test of time.
My Grandmother Gifted Me With This Ring A Few Years Before She Passed Away. I Loved It Because It Was From Her, And Because It Was Totally Strange
Recently, I showed my mom and aunt (her daughters), and neither had ever seen it before. I'm guessing it's a treasure my grandfather brought home from his Navy or Merchant Marine adventures. Initially, I thought it was costume jewelry, goldtone cloisonne. However, I recently discovered it's 22k solid gold, enamel-painted, made in Spain in the 1940s or 1950s, which is why I think my grandfather had a hand in this. My grandmother likely gifted it to me because I'm a total water, beach, boat, and fish lover! I've never seen anything like it, but I'm hoping someone else has. Isn't he funky and fierce? Look at those teeth!
Inherited My Great-Grandmother's Crystal Ball
This crystal ball was passed down from my great-grandmother to my nana and now to me. It’s my most prized possession that I can’t stop looking at. I also love the stand that my nana got - three meerkats!
Keep it out of the sun!! Those things can cause house fires.
I Inherited This Perfume Bottle Necklace When My Mom Passed Away. I Think She Wore It In The 70s. And I Just Found Out It Has A Secret - This Pointy, Mini Arrow-Looking Thing Comes Out
i clicked through to the original post, and it's a perfume bottle :3 the arrow bit is a dipper
Which of the heirlooms that we’ve featured in this post impressed you the most, dear Pandas? What are the most interesting things that you’ve inherited from your family? What are the coolest things you hope to leave behind for your kids? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
When My Grandfather Passed Away I Inherited This. Needs Some Work But My Grandpa Had Good Taste
I Inherited These Vintage Drawing Tools From My Grandpa. It Probably Belonged To My Great-Grandpa. It Came With A Vintage "How To Sketch" Book
This Lovely Vintage Pendant Was Just Passed Down To Me From My Grandmother. Rose Quartz And Amethyst. It Has A Secret Compartment
I Inherited A Neat Lion's Head Cane With A Secret Compartment Containing A Glass Vial For... Storage
Today Is My Daughter's 5th Birthday, And Today She Inherited My Beloved Childhood Dollhouse
All ready for the birthday girl! I've been fixing up all the furniture and making new bits for it for the last few weeks. Kitchen, as a surprise for me, my amazing brother carefully dismantled the whole house, packed it up, and shipped it over to our UK home from Canada where it had been in storage. Master, still have to fix up the baby's cot which will go with the rocker. My sister-in-law made the tufted rug. In the living room, the rug is a squirrel skin my mother was gifted in the 5th grade from a boy who had a crush on her. Bathroom! the majority of the furniture (and the house itself) was purchased in Germany in the early '90s when my military dad was posted there (we lived there for 5 years.) In the kids' room, my mum has made the bunks new bedding since this photo was taken. The cars for the car mat are buttons. And in the entryway, the lights are strings of fairy lights with the battery packs strategically hidden. I didn't want to do anything too permanent, so they're just taped up for now.
The Nutcracker My Friend Inherited From His Grandmother
My Grandfather Was Stationed In Italy During World War II. He Picked This Up For My Grandmother. I Was Lucky To Inherit This From Them After They Passed Away
My birthstone is sapphire as well, so this is extra special to me.
We even had our house robbed, but they missed it, thank goodness.
Today We Inherited My Boyfriend's Grandfather’s Vinyl Collection
My New Keystone Olympic Standard 8 Mm Film Video Camera, Inherited From My Great-Grandfather
This 1985 Spirit Of St. Louis Field Radio Was Passed Down To Me From My Grandpa
Inherited A Vanity Desk Built In 1870, Previously Owned By My Great-Grandmother, Grandmother, And Mother. I Am Grateful
This Tiny Pocket Knife I Inherited From My Grandfather
My Friend Showed Me An Envelope Of Photographs He Inherited From His Father Who Worked On The Bomb
His father was not the photographer - the photographs were mailed to him from the infamous "PO Box 1663" in Santa Fe and were taken at Bikini Atoll.
His dad went to Notre Dame, MIT, and USC, and had degrees in chemical engineering, architectural engineering, and nuclear physics.
More specifically, that is the "Baker" test of Operation Crossroads, taking place at Bikini Atoll on July 25, 1946. It's immediately recognisable because it's an underwater blast and they had a whole flotilla of decomissioned warships for testing purposes, including old warhorses like the aircraft carrier "USS Saratoga" and war prizes like the German cruiser "Prinz Eugen" or the Japanese battleship "Nagato".
My Grandpa's Razor I Inherited. Used To Shave With Him (Without Razor In) When Little. 25 Years Later, I'm Here, Cleaned It Up And Threw a New Razor In. 1940s Gold Plated DE
If I remember well you open the blade protector, to change the blade, by turning the bottom of the handle.
Just Inherited My Great-Grandmother's Kitchen Aid (Hobart) A-9 Coffee Grinder. This Model Was Discontinued In 1947, But It Still Helped Make A Great Cup Of Coffee This Morning
Rotring 600 I Inherited
I Recently Inherited This Gorgeous 8 Mm Film Projector From The 1950s
I Inherited David Clark Headsets After My Dad Passed Away. My Dad Used Them Flying Helicopters In The Army
My dad used them while flying helicopters in the Army, then in the National Guard. I adapted them for use when I maintenance taxi commercial aircraft for a major airline. They still sound great and will probably outlast me as well.
I had to turn mine back in to the Air Force and I wish I had just paid the cost of "losing" them because Dave Clarks are AMAZING
This Is A Polaroid 800 Land Camera From The Late 1950s. I Inherited It From My Aunt In 2007
I used it decoratively until I realized that it accepted 4x5 sheet film without modification. Now, it's my go-to, large-format film camera.
I Inherited My Grandmother's Pencil Sharpener From My Aunt About Five Years Ago And This Beast Has Been Tirelessly Working In My Classroom For Three Years
I teach 5th and 6th grade math.
I have no idea how old it is, but it's certainly older than all the students and even some of the teachers.
My mom was an art teacher and she still has an old crank type pencil sharpener mounted in her house. It's made of cast iron and is a total beast. :)
Inherited My Dad's 1975 Targa 911S
My mom got this car as a gift for my dad before I was born (1980s). It only came out on special occasions, sometimes for him to take my mom on a beautiful sunny day date, and it has never seen the rain. It’s bittersweet that it’s now mine. I have great memories riding around in it with him. I’m so honored to take care of it.
Just Inherited This Pan From My Late Grandfather. He Was 93, This Pan Is At Least 115 Years Old
Cast iron is the best. But my arm strength isn't up to flipping pancakes with them, to my daughter's disappointment.
My Pocket Compass Is Engraved “Eng. DEPT. U.S.A. 1918”. Wish I Had Paid More Attention Who Had Owned These Things When My Parents Passed Them On To Me
It’s too late to ask them now. But the compass still points to magnetic north after 99 years!
Be careful with it. It originally had glow-in-the-dark paint on the needle. Even if it no longer glows there may be a significant amount of radium still present. It should be safe so long as the crystal and case are intact. I have one just like it that came from my grandfather.
Family Heirloom Watch That Was Passed Down To Me. Traces Of The Family Photo Carried On The Back Are Still Visible
I Inherited This Pocket Watch From My Grandparents
I've Been Fascinated By This Paperweight Of My Grandpa's For As Long As I Can Remember. Today, I Inherited It
My Grandfather’s Pocket Watch. I Plan On Fixing It Up And Giving It Back To My Mom
My mom knows my interest in watches and showed me her dad's old pocket watch that my grandmother got for my grandfather for my mom's wedding. It’s not currently running and is missing the crystal and the second hand, but otherwise, in great condition. I’m picking up the hobby of watch repair, so when I become proficient, I’m going to fix it up and give it back to her. A little research shows this as a Waltham Colonial Series Royal. I’ll take off the case in the future and get the serial number to get a more exact date of manufacture. Looking forward to getting this all fixed and running.
GE A10 T17 Toaster, It's Close To 50 Years Old And Still Used Daily. It Was My Grandmother's Until She Passed Away, And I Ended Up With It. They Don't Make Them Like This Anymore
BIFL - Sterling 5 Qt Ice Cream Maker (Ca 1970s). Inherited From Grandma, Still Churning Goodness
Japanese Scissors. Daily Use For 7 Years. Inherited From My Late Grandpa. Carbon Steel - Bluish Tint
I bet it glides through paper and material like a hot knife through butter.
Thanks Grandad! Tools Cleaned And Oiled And Tool Boxes Refinished. Ready For A Few More Generations
Wife Inherited The Nice Silverware From Her Grandmother. Thought The Little Box Inside Was Silver Polish At First
My Grandma Passed Away & I Will Inherit This Old Story & Clark Baby Grand That Originally Belonged To My Great-Grandmother (Hence The 60's/70's Avocado Green)
My dad thinks it may have been satin black originally... Is there any hope of removing the paint to get the original finish?
Before you whip out the sander and ruin a potential original finish, ask a professional to have a look. Or get in touch with the company and ask.
A Kennedy Toolbox I Recently Inherited From My Grandpa. He Used It When He Worked For The US Department Of Energy In The 1960s (Back Then It Was The Department Of Atomic Energy)
All drawers slide out flawlessly, and it’s built like a tank. All I had to do was run a wire wheel on some rusty corners and give it a bit of paint. Here’s to 60 more years with this thing!
My Wife's Whirley-Pop That Her Grandmother Used. Still Makes Perfect Popcorn Every Time
We had one of these. My mom hated it. Dad finally bought a plug-in popper with the stirring bar
Zassenhaus Coffee Grinder. Inherited And Used For Decades Almost Everyday
I Am The Third Generation To Own This Crock Pot
My Friend Inherited A Narwhal Tusk From His Grandfather
My Ace Liner That I Inherited From My Grandpa. This Version Was Made In The 1960s. Weighing In At 1.4 Lbs, It's Indestructible
Dad Passed Away. This Is My Inheritance
I Inherited These From My Grandparents. My Grandfather Was In The Air Force And Lived In Japan Post WWII, So I Assume They Are From Japan
She's 60 Years Old And Fabulous. Inherited One Of My Late Grandma's Bags. Not A Designer Bag, Just A Vintage Beauty
Inherited This Amazing Chess Set From My Father. Just Thought I'd Share It
I Recently Inherited This Very Old Bible From My Grandmother. It's Really Cool - The Cover Is Dimensional With The Gold Areas Protruding
I Inherited This Blender From My Grandmother. I Have No Idea How Old It Is, But It Still Runs Like A Top
My mom still has one of these that she got as a wedding gift in the 70's. It still works great too. I've used it to make Margaritas. :)
Cast Iron Grill. I Love Everything About This. Should Survive Multiple Generations Of Use. Super Portable And Versatile. You Can Find Fuel Anywhere
I Inherited The Family Pennsylvania Tuxedo
My dad's Woolrich outerwear has kept me warm on many cold hunting days. It's extremely functional and has endured years of walking through brambles and brush. The buffalo check plaid is easy for other hunters to see. Deer can't see red, so it breaks up the silhouette and serves as effective and quiet camouflage.
My dad is okay, he just outgrew it.
Featuring a thrifted HBC eight-point blanket.
Til something. When I was growing up my dad used to go deer hunting and wore red all the time. Back then all hunters wore red. Never knew why. Now I do.
30 Years Ago, I Received This As A Gift From My Grandparents. Today, I Get To Pass It On To My Son
We had one like that as kids but without the sheaths over the springs. You'd randomly get pinched by the springs so it was kind of an adventure to use it.
This Bible That Has Been Passed Down Through My Family Since The 1800s
My Friend’s Ring Watch She Inherited From Her Grandma
When My Grandfather Passed Away, I Inherited His Auto Crawler. I'm Still Using It To Change My Oil After 80 Years
I've Inherited Two Rings, Both Approximately 80-100 Years Old, And They Bear Very Peculiar Symbols
Judging only by the second last symbol - a sonic screwdriver - your ancestor was The Doctor
This Ice Cream Scooper We Inherited From My Grandma When We Moved Into Her House. We Use It All The Time And It Seems Indestructible
Almost 100-Year-Old Wine My Grandpa Inherited From His Grandpa. He Dug Out A Few Bottles For An Event Today
Inherited A Radium Glass Dish From My Late Great-Grandmother
My Wife Inherited This Table From Her Grandpa. She Thinks It’s Called A "Skittles Table", But Can’t Find Much On What It Is, Or How To Play
It's a Bar Biiliards table. They're great fun to play! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_billiards
It Happened Again. Inherited This From My Grandfather. I Would Like To Get It Replated
This Extremely Rare Double-Sided Couch My Friend Inherited From His Grandfather
How could you use this in a home setting? (I say home setting because it could obviously be used in like a waiting room/hotel lobby/etc)
This Tree Has Been Passed Down Through Four Generations Of People. I Don't Know The Exact Age, But It Predates 1940
Kitchen Aid By Hobart Coffee Grinder - Inherited From My Parents
Craftsman Tool Chest Inherited From My Dad In 2006. It’s Probably 40-50 Years Old
Antique Vase Inherited From My Grandfather
Does anyone know anything about this? My grandfather lived in Iran and had this since I remember and he passed away at 100 years old in 2020. The stones seem like they are turquoise and maybe agate. Any information is appreciated.
Inherited My Grandfather’s Gym Bag. 1970s Pleather With Riveted-On Handles And Those Old Steel Zippers That Never, Ever Break Open
I Inherited My Great-Grandfather's GE Radio, And It Still Works
Inherited This From My Dad
I believe it’s from the ‘86 season. I could be wrong though.
Inherited This Ornate Large... Pendant? Wall Decoration?
At 10 cm it could just be a regular if rather large necklace pendant, if it's not super heavy that is.
My Dad's Razor From 1976. My Dad Is 66. He Is Still Using It. It's His First-Ever Razor And He Loves It
One Of These "Bad Boys" From The Early '80s, I Think. Inherited From My Dear Late Grandmother
It has gotten me through several harsh cold snaps during winter as supplemental heat in my bedroom. Bathing in its warmth right now.
She's still with us at the time of this writing, but my grandmother gave me an old book (a copy of "True To The Old Flag") which has an inscription in the front showing it was presented as an award to an ancestor of mine after he saved a man's life! (The guy was drowning, and my forebear jumped into the river and rescued him).
I appreciate this so much. My grandmother just passed away and I inherited a lot of pretty objects-- a clock, some table linens, etc. I know it's just stuff, but it tells a story and it's like I can keep a piece of her life. It might sound materialistic, but it's also a way of emotional processing.
I inherited The Time Magazine’s “The Best of Life” book from my dad who inherited it from his dad (my grandfather). It’s a special edition hardcover book published in 1973 which features over 300 pages of famous/influential photos (with descriptions) picked out from all 1864 volumes of Times magazine issues until then (36 years). The book comes in a cardboard dust jacket (a box like book cover). My dad is still alive but he gave this to me because I love books and take great care of them. He has emphasized that I should take good care of it which I do. I’m no history buff but I love combining through its pages. Edit: I took a photo of it but I don’t know how to attach it to my comment. Google the book title if interested. It comes up.
My great uncle passed away and I inherited his Bronze Star medal from WWII. He could have had a parade, but didn't one one, so the General sent it to him with a signed card. When I got it we all were looking at it and my father noticed that the General had founded a law firm my father had worked at earlier in his career without ever knowing that there was a connection. When my other great uncle passed, I inherited two recliners, which I wish I still had. They were great, but ended up getting worn out quickly.
Part of me is sad that my family will probably just donate all of the stuff I've collected whenever I die, but part of me likes the idea of people discovering and falling in love with the stuff the same way I did.
When I finished grad school (library & information sciences), my uncle gave me some of my grandmother's (another librarian; she passed when I was 3) textbooks. They have her handwritten notes in the margins. Turns out Grammy had atrocious handwriting!
I’m kinda envious of most of these. All I got was a home, property, a business, stock portfolios and a couple of trust funds! /s(arcasm)
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She's still with us at the time of this writing, but my grandmother gave me an old book (a copy of "True To The Old Flag") which has an inscription in the front showing it was presented as an award to an ancestor of mine after he saved a man's life! (The guy was drowning, and my forebear jumped into the river and rescued him).
I appreciate this so much. My grandmother just passed away and I inherited a lot of pretty objects-- a clock, some table linens, etc. I know it's just stuff, but it tells a story and it's like I can keep a piece of her life. It might sound materialistic, but it's also a way of emotional processing.
I inherited The Time Magazine’s “The Best of Life” book from my dad who inherited it from his dad (my grandfather). It’s a special edition hardcover book published in 1973 which features over 300 pages of famous/influential photos (with descriptions) picked out from all 1864 volumes of Times magazine issues until then (36 years). The book comes in a cardboard dust jacket (a box like book cover). My dad is still alive but he gave this to me because I love books and take great care of them. He has emphasized that I should take good care of it which I do. I’m no history buff but I love combining through its pages. Edit: I took a photo of it but I don’t know how to attach it to my comment. Google the book title if interested. It comes up.
My great uncle passed away and I inherited his Bronze Star medal from WWII. He could have had a parade, but didn't one one, so the General sent it to him with a signed card. When I got it we all were looking at it and my father noticed that the General had founded a law firm my father had worked at earlier in his career without ever knowing that there was a connection. When my other great uncle passed, I inherited two recliners, which I wish I still had. They were great, but ended up getting worn out quickly.
Part of me is sad that my family will probably just donate all of the stuff I've collected whenever I die, but part of me likes the idea of people discovering and falling in love with the stuff the same way I did.
When I finished grad school (library & information sciences), my uncle gave me some of my grandmother's (another librarian; she passed when I was 3) textbooks. They have her handwritten notes in the margins. Turns out Grammy had atrocious handwriting!
I’m kinda envious of most of these. All I got was a home, property, a business, stock portfolios and a couple of trust funds! /s(arcasm)
BP is adding trackers ! The count goes up month by month on my tracker tracker... Several dozen on this page alone. The ads were bad enough. Now Google, FB, Twit, InMobi, Internal Ad Science, Yahoo, ChartBeat, Hotjar and comScore are all tracking you. But NOT tracking me... They're tracking and warehousing EVERY last thing you do on BP. How's it feel ? Am in IT security. One of the worst tracking sites I have seen. Used to be very few trackers here. More being added monthly... Loads of stuff about you being sold. They'll censor this post...