It is common for people to own cherished possessions that they inherited for a variety of reasons. For some the collections could include a special stuffed animal that they confided in as a young person and couldn’t go a place without it, or a blanket they carried everywhere they went from playing outside to cuddling with it to go to sleep, or maybe it is a necklace or an engagement ring that has been passed down from generation to generation. The necklace could be one that all the women in a family wore at their wedding. No matter which way we came about our possessions they represent significant meaning to each own. My china hutch, that my fiancé gave me as a surprise gift, holds the most sentimental value of love, laugh and joyous memories of the time I spent with my best friend along with holding valued family treasures.
Soon after my mother, Audrey, passed away, I came home to
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The photo is placed in a beautiful pink glass frame that reads “MOM, Her presence makes all the difference in life.” Below the phrase is a small ceramic angel. This picture is special to me because after losing my mother, life hasn’t been the same. My mother was my best friend, and one of my greatest role models. No matter what I was going through I knew I could talk to her and she would keep an open mind and answer with her best advice she could give. The picture of her is from her funeral services folder because she was not a photogenic person, I would have to sneak up on her to take pictures without her knowing. So most of the photos I do have of her, she is hiding her face and her back is turned toward the camera. However this particular photo is from and old family photo taken when I was a young child. I chose to place this photo in the frame because it showed her beautiful smile. When my mother would walk into a room with the grace in her footsteps and the smile on her face, she would make me feel loved and
He teaches his readers two valuable lessons that he learned through his experience of dumpster diving; take only what you can use, and the short existence of material things. I agree wholeheartedly with these two principles. Spiritual and mental things last for a much longer time than any knick knack ever can. And indeed it is easy to believe that an object holds a sentiment to us, think backwards to what that object first transformed from. A treasure chest, a block of wood, a log, a tree, a small seed. Look at that sentimental object for what it really is and it truly is nothing more than what we make out of it. Yet we still have the sentiments and memories that object supposedly holds. I too believe that there is no reason in holding onto things that we don’t need either. Eighner is trying to explain to us that we shouldn’t place our happiness in such things that clutter our lives and are really just
My treasure is a book by Thornton W Burgess called " Old Mother West Wind and the Merry Little Breezes " given to me in the 3rd grade by my parents over 55 years ago. It's rather shabby as befits it's age and the many many times the world within its pages was visited. It symbolizes the love of my parents who, having very little in a material sense, endeavored to enrich the lives of us 4 kids. We not only could count on receiving a new dress made by my mama for our birthday, we also knew daddy would bring us a new adventure, a different world to explore. Daddy was a mechanic for MacMillian and Buick downtown behind Belks. Every birthday he would go down to the bargain basement and pick us out a book after work. One year, being just plain worn
Physical items such as family heirlooms, "teacups"(Didian 373), or the condition of a house are strong reminders of past memories. Instead of a thought trying to relate one thing to another, an object can have it's own history. ...
In order to do this we need to have responsibility for our possessions. They are ours, they have value, whether sentimental or monetary, and it is our job to take care of them. If we do not, then our hard earned money has gone to waste or our memories that were attached to it, are simply only alive in our minds. Having things to take care of helps us to have a sense of purpose in life, and teaches us responsibility to care for what is ours. Both important virtues that help us grow and discover ourselves when we have tangible objects that belong to and are cared for by
Peace Pilgrim once stated, “Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take care of them. There is great freedom in simplicity of living. It is those who have enough but no too much who are the happiest”. In today’s society, there are individuals who consider themselves materialists, prideful, rich and others not that wealthy. However, material possessions are one of the most unnecessary items that Americans people have, which sometimes could be a critical aspect that defines their identity. In fact, many people who experience such dilemma, have particularly rented self-storage room, which helps them to accumulate and save all their valuable possessions. In the article “The Self-Storage,” by Jon Moallem,
I interviewed Rita Wright from Northwest Georgia Housing Authority. She is in charge of resident services. She is an African American with a predominately African American clientele; therefore I knew I would be able to obtain much information from her viewpoint. When I asked Ms. Wright to talk about her key values and characteristics common in her culture she talked extensively about family. Family is a major part of her life. She stated that she is like most African Americans in which family values are extremely important. There are several people in her life who have earned the title of aunt, sister or cousin who are not blood related. These are individuals who have always been there for her and her family, so they too are considered just like family. Most African American families are embedded in complex kinship networks of blood and nonrelated individuals (Diller, 2011). To Ms. Wright there is nothing more precious than family. If family wrongs you, you forgive and forget. If family needs help, you must be there for them. In the end family is all we have.
The article “Continuity Through Change: Navigating Temporalities Through Heirloom Rejuvenation” discusses the importance of heirlooms and its identity and stability. The article “highlights ritualistic and narrative aspects of consuming heirlooms and, in doing so illuminates important domains such as curatorial consumptions….and inalienability” (Türe 1). A few participants in the study were not happy about rejuvenating heirlooms, because they are not prone to the idea of heirlooms --- from their original state. According to the study “the family’s desire to protect the heirlooms table’s size and form, for fear of losing its meaning prevent it reincorporation into family life” (Türe 2). The family rather their heirlooms to stay the exact way it has been for the past years. Rejuvenating their heirlooms will change the meaning, and the traditions that is attached to the objects. On the other hand, some individuals are ok with rejuvenating their heirlooms. a young man who confirmed that rejuvenating is a good thing. He was not happy with grandfather’s pocket watch that was left behind. Despite the history behind the watch, Kemal said the watch was not his style. Kemal “Enhanced its functionality by converting it into a wristwatch, discarding the outdated chain and adding a new strap to the watch” (Türe 10). Though some people wouldn’t agree with his decision for the
So why might grown-ups harbor affection for a ratty old blanket or well-worn stuffed dog? Part of the reason is probably nostalgia, Hood said, but there seems to be a deep emotional attachment to the objects as well. It's called "essentialism," or the idea that objects are more than just physical properties. When I was younger I used to watch a show called Charlie Brown, where there was a character called Linus. He could always be seen carrying around a ratty old blanket which he would drag everywhere he went.
Throughout chapters there are always different themes they discuss. In chapter 9 of the text book titled “The Importance of Social Supports: Family, Friends, Neighbors and Communities they discussed about how many older adults are lonely and isolated from their family and friends. It is important for elders to have some type of social support system that is why it is crucial for them to have positive relationships with people. Studies have found ta older adults with little social support were 3.6 times more likely to die within the next five years.
Have you ever had a possession that was so essential to your existence that you felt you couldn’t live without it? For instance, I have known many people who have said. I will die without that! They may be speaking of things such as their cell phone, or their Blackberry. In these cases being without these items probably wouldn’t cause them to die. Similarly, there are also people who hold onto items that belonged to a loved one, no longer in their life, who believe that without this item, they will die. I have a hope chest that my dad built me when I was a senior in high school. He passed away just a couple of years later and I have to say that I’ve been guilty of the mentality of I would just die without that because the hope chest is so special to me. After reading “The Shawl”, I have revised my thinking though. In the short story “The Shawl” written by Cynthia Ozick, the shawl is a critical part of this small family’s existence. The shawl is shown to truly be a possession that someone cannot live without.
In the story “The Thrill of the Chase”, the author shows how you can’t take materialistic things with you when you die. “Anyone who dies with over $50 is a failure.” (Goldsmith, pg 474). Objects of this life don’t matter in the end. In another story called “The Golden Touch”,
For 19 years, this photo of myself as a child posing with my grandmother has sat on my shelf. Growing up, my grandmother was an integral part of my life. For a majority of my life, she lived in an apartment above our garage. Without a doubt, I spent more of my childhood with her than anyone else. She was a role model and above all else a close friend. I do not remember this photo being taken, nor do I remember where I was when this photo was taken, but the contingency of photography forces me to recognize that the referent of this photograph truly occurred. Immediately, this photo speaks to the strong relationship between me and my grandmother, which in this case is the photographs studium. Anyone glancing at this photograph
My whole world would be completely different if it was not for the people in my life. My loved ones are one of the most important aspect in my life and is something that I should never be take for granted. Without my them, I couldn’t imagine what I would do. For me personally, a family is a group of people who love and support each other through the good and bad times.
Throughout my life my family has always been there for everything. From when I was little and falling off my bike to helping me with my plans for the future, there was always someone from my family making sure that I was okay or helping me make the right decision. There were times, and there still is today, when they can annoy me and all I want to do is get away. At the end of the day, no matter what happens, you are still going to be related to them. You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family. Your friends might not always be there, but you can always count on family.
One’s personal possessions usually have value to them because they are something that a person can truly claim as his or her own. The most desirable and most valuable possession would naturally be love. With love some, but not all, desire material possessions. Last, everyone desires security to complete the last piece of the puzzle.