I was talking to my mom on the telephone the other day, and she brought up something that I had not really thought too much about before. We were discussing family heirlooms, and how some families have more than others because of when and how their ancestors arrived in America. For example, my mother’s paternal ancestors have been in the United States for quite some time. I believe that they arrived before the Civil war. Her maternal ancestors, however, did not come to America until her maternal grandmother came from Italy through Ellis Island with her family, My genealogical math may be a little off, but I think that is four generations ago.
When my great grandmother came to America with her family, she did not bring many things with her. This is probably true for many immigrant families. Only the necessities made the journey to America with them, and the rest was left behind. As a result, there are not many items that have been passed down through that line of ancestors. This gives the items that have been passed down a great deal of sentimental value because they are so few in number.
My mother’s paternal ancestors have lived in the South since before the Civil War. As a result, there are more items that they have kept in the family for generations. The fact that there are more items, however, does not decrease their sentimental value at all. They are precious because they have stayed with the family for so long, and represent a fairly long line of family history in America. Each family has its own collection of treasures with its own history. While some collections may be larger than others, the value of these items to the families that possess them is not something that can be measured by the market value or quantity of the items. They represent the path that the family has taken through the years and the stories of the people that acquired them. What family treasures have been passed down through the generations in your family? What stories do they tell?