We're all fighting boredom and stress at this trying time when millions of people around the globe are forced into self-isolation for their own good. And despite people desperately trying to find escapes from the monotone surroundings of one's own home, some people find comfort in things that are closest to us. One Twitter user named Isaac decided to start a thread where he asked people to look around their houses and find the item that is of most personal value. And people responded!
From family heirlooms to dear art pieces, people posted photographs of the items, attaching a short story of the items and why exactly they are so valuable to the owners.
Bored Panda reached out to Isaac for some additional details on the Twitter thread and he kindly answered with some new information. He offered a brief introduction of himself and revealed he writes books for a living:
"I'm a Brooklyn-based author. My most recent book is a children's book titled How to Be a Pirate, which is illustrated by Brigette Barrager of Uni the Unicorn fame. The book just came out on March 3rd! I've got two other books out all about tattoos and am working on a YA novel and an essay collection for adults titled Dirtbag, Massachusetts."
So scroll down and check out the pics and don't forget to share your own precious things in the comments below.
More info: isaacfitzgerald.net | Twitter
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We asked Fitzgerald how he came up with the idea to start the thread on Twitter and he revealed that it was thanks to procrastination that was amplified by the current situation in the world. "Because I was traveling a bunch a few weeks ago (for my book tour), I've been holed up and self-quarantining for a full week now (no symptoms, just playing it safe)," he talked about his own experience in regards to the spread of the coronavirus. "Anyhow, I was looking at the sword, which is displayed by my desk, and I realized that there must be so many other folks who are doing the exact same thing: staring at items in their homes that they see every day and maybe even take for granted that... they're now going to be spending a lot more time with," the author told us. So, Isaac started the thread to see what other people had to share.
We also inquired some more about his own cherished item, the sword from the King of Bhutan:
"The sword was a birthday present! Wild story that is too long to fully detail here, but I went to high school with Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the then-Crown Prince and now-King of Bhutan. A little later in my 20s, I was lucky enough to visit the beautiful country of Bhutan, where I got the rare opportunity to catch up with my old friend. Our meeting coincided with my 25th birthday, which I'd planned to keep to myself, but His Majesty remembered and celebrated the occasion by gifting me with a small sword (the kind carried by most soldiers in Bhutan, I believe). No matter where life takes me, at least I can always say I've been given a sword by a king."
How did Isaac react to the explosion of replies to the thread? He said that it certainly made him happy:
"People are still contributing to the thread, which is absolutely wonderful. And folks are discussing each other's items with such love and care, it's really beautiful, and I'm so happy to be a part of it. It feels like a big group project that so many different folks are contributing to, and I hope more and more people feel welcomed to join in."
What medium? And he is amazing, does he have any social medias for his art???
Miep Gies was an employee of Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank. Only a few knew of the hiding of 8(!) persons in the Achterhuis and help to provide for food and the notebooks to write in. The day after the Frank family was found and arrested by the SS, Miep found the notes of Anne and hid her diary. If it wasn’t for Miep we would never have heard of the Diary of Anne Frank, Therefore her autograph in this book has a profound meaning.
Thank you for the explanation, I had no idea who she was.
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Wow! That she hid that diary and kept it safe after the family was arrested and was able to sign it after the diary was published. I'm AMAZED at your treasure
Thank you for your generous comments. I should add that Miep had some help from a couple of fellow employees at Otto's company, Opekta : Bep Voskujil, Johannes Kleiman (Miep's husband, who died in 1993), and Victor Kugler. They, along with Miep, took care of the Frank family and the others hiding in the attic: the van Pels family, identified as the van Daans in Anne's diary; and Fritz Prefer, identified as Albert Dussel in the diary. Doubleday brought Miep to NYC in 1995 as part of the publicity rollout for the new translation of the diary. She spoke to an SRO crowd at Manhattan's Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. I was the editor of this new translation, so I was able to meet Miep and get her to sign my copy of the diary. Miep died in 2010, at the age 100.
She worked for Anne Frank's father and helped hide their family. There was a nicer way for you to ask for clarification.
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I have the razor of my italian grandfather, he bought in the 1930s when he had to work in Germany...
Top: American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, WW2 Victory.....Bottom: Presidential Unit Citation, East Asia Campaign, Philippine Liberation
That's super sweet :) but honestly the doll kind of creeps me out. Especially how long it is.
Note: this post originally had 51 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
We received a Magic Wheelchair cosplay costume for our daughter last year. It is one of our most precious items and we use it as often as possible (well we did before this whole virus thing decided to be more dangerous than xenomorphs) 70190335_2...79c21e.jpg 
I'm #37 on this list and it has very much brightened my isolating day to see this :-) A lovely boredpanda reader from germany contacted me to say, i'm so delighted! I have a vid of me on my fbook page painting live during isolation. It's mostly me laughing - but there is a painting at the end of it! page is public :-) (i'm faaar too chuffed about this tee hee)
Aw, I love how happy it has made you! Gorgeous painting as well. Stay safe and well Reina!
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Stunning dog! Kisses from my fur-babies! Oreo-Folly...a01689.jpg 
Mine is a simple silver bracelet with my husband's name on it that he got when he was born. His mother kept it all those years and gave it to me when we started dating. She told me her son had finally found a good woman and she was very happy with me. She never gave the bracelet to his former girlfriends, even though he was in a steady relationship for 5 years at some point. She just knew that girl wasn't good to him (she wasn't, she left him to go to Australia without telling him). I was (and am) so honored. It's extra special because I had barely got to know her, we were dating for just a few months and they lived far away, when she died from cancer. We're still together now, 20 years and counting. I wear that bracelet every day.
That is an amazing thing. She is still with you through that bracelet.
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Besides my hubby and kids my most precious possessions are my family photos, scrapbook albums and our dogs urn. Not worth much monetary wise but all priceless to me.
Things don't need a monetary value to mean the world to you. I don't know how much my teddy bear cost but he means a lot to me.
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1: Silverware set my great grandfather on my mother's side bought. He used to work at the factory making the sets. He bought 8 sets over all for roughly $20 A piece back in the early 1900's. Set is worth over $1,000 today. 2: My teddy bear General Brown that I've had since I was born. My older brother ripped his leg off when I was a kid so I named him General Brown. He lost his leg in the war.
This is a ceramic jewelry box/container from my grandmother. My aunts kept this wrapped in tissue and in a padded box. 18301180_1...12d730.jpg 
So much of value ot me, but I'd grab the flag from my dad's coffin (USNavy) and my cats and the pic of me and my mom and her mom all together one last time. :-)
The boxes (and boxes) of family history I have. My sis and I love genealogy and a few years ago the family decided I would be the keep of the Family History, and pick up where my Great Aunt stopped when she passed away. So now I have several giant Rubbermaid totes and boxes in my basement filled with photo albums, family papers, documents, and momentos. We even have one filled with the scrapbook my Grandma made when my Grandpa was away fighting in WWII, plus his full uniform and some weapons he used. There’s about 60 years of research in them and most of that is just for my Mom’s side, never mind my Dad’s.
I don't have a picture of him but one of my most prized family possessions is my teddy bear, Beary. He has been with me since I was 6 years old and I am now 34 years old. My other prized possession is my marker collection. Those markers have allowed me to be extremely creative. The things in my life, however, are not things. They are my beloved family. I have an amazing family that has seen me through everything and has instilled me with a lot of family history.
I know I have already commented but I feel I need to again because of some of the hate I received over a piece of family history I shared: I told how my father's grandmother helped Bonnie and Clyde by buying supplies for them and hiding them. I never met my great grandmother because she passed away before my sister and I were born. Someone said I was trying to glorify crime. I was not, I was just telling a story from my family's history that I thought was interesting. Tell me what you think, fellow pandas.
I love how personal all these valuables are. It's not the monetary worth that makes the precious.
This certainly proves the old saying, "One person's trash is another's treasure". ;)
And two millions form the last elections,. but they might not be in the house, indeed. Anyway, Bored Panda crew is the same as Listverse crew, Quora crew etc., consisting of all those who don't die of hunger or have three jobs, but instead stay home and keep the illusion working with money taken form anywhere else.
We received a Magic Wheelchair cosplay costume for our daughter last year. It is one of our most precious items and we use it as often as possible (well we did before this whole virus thing decided to be more dangerous than xenomorphs) 70190335_2...79c21e.jpg
I'm #37 on this list and it has very much brightened my isolating day to see this :-) A lovely boredpanda reader from germany contacted me to say, i'm so delighted! I have a vid of me on my fbook page painting live during isolation. It's mostly me laughing - but there is a painting at the end of it! page is public :-) (i'm faaar too chuffed about this tee hee)
Aw, I love how happy it has made you! Gorgeous painting as well. Stay safe and well Reina!
Load More Replies... Stunning dog! Kisses from my fur-babies! Oreo-Folly...a01689.jpg
Mine is a simple silver bracelet with my husband's name on it that he got when he was born. His mother kept it all those years and gave it to me when we started dating. She told me her son had finally found a good woman and she was very happy with me. She never gave the bracelet to his former girlfriends, even though he was in a steady relationship for 5 years at some point. She just knew that girl wasn't good to him (she wasn't, she left him to go to Australia without telling him). I was (and am) so honored. It's extra special because I had barely got to know her, we were dating for just a few months and they lived far away, when she died from cancer. We're still together now, 20 years and counting. I wear that bracelet every day.
That is an amazing thing. She is still with you through that bracelet.
Load More Replies... Besides my hubby and kids my most precious possessions are my family photos, scrapbook albums and our dogs urn. Not worth much monetary wise but all priceless to me.
Things don't need a monetary value to mean the world to you. I don't know how much my teddy bear cost but he means a lot to me.
Load More Replies... 1: Silverware set my great grandfather on my mother's side bought. He used to work at the factory making the sets. He bought 8 sets over all for roughly $20 A piece back in the early 1900's. Set is worth over $1,000 today. 2: My teddy bear General Brown that I've had since I was born. My older brother ripped his leg off when I was a kid so I named him General Brown. He lost his leg in the war.
This is a ceramic jewelry box/container from my grandmother. My aunts kept this wrapped in tissue and in a padded box. 18301180_1...12d730.jpg
So much of value ot me, but I'd grab the flag from my dad's coffin (USNavy) and my cats and the pic of me and my mom and her mom all together one last time. :-)
The boxes (and boxes) of family history I have. My sis and I love genealogy and a few years ago the family decided I would be the keep of the Family History, and pick up where my Great Aunt stopped when she passed away. So now I have several giant Rubbermaid totes and boxes in my basement filled with photo albums, family papers, documents, and momentos. We even have one filled with the scrapbook my Grandma made when my Grandpa was away fighting in WWII, plus his full uniform and some weapons he used. There’s about 60 years of research in them and most of that is just for my Mom’s side, never mind my Dad’s.
I don't have a picture of him but one of my most prized family possessions is my teddy bear, Beary. He has been with me since I was 6 years old and I am now 34 years old. My other prized possession is my marker collection. Those markers have allowed me to be extremely creative. The things in my life, however, are not things. They are my beloved family. I have an amazing family that has seen me through everything and has instilled me with a lot of family history.
I know I have already commented but I feel I need to again because of some of the hate I received over a piece of family history I shared: I told how my father's grandmother helped Bonnie and Clyde by buying supplies for them and hiding them. I never met my great grandmother because she passed away before my sister and I were born. Someone said I was trying to glorify crime. I was not, I was just telling a story from my family's history that I thought was interesting. Tell me what you think, fellow pandas.
I love how personal all these valuables are. It's not the monetary worth that makes the precious.
This certainly proves the old saying, "One person's trash is another's treasure". ;)
And two millions form the last elections,. but they might not be in the house, indeed. Anyway, Bored Panda crew is the same as Listverse crew, Quora crew etc., consisting of all those who don't die of hunger or have three jobs, but instead stay home and keep the illusion working with money taken form anywhere else.
