The woman from the turn of the nineteenth century sits at her dressing table and waves at the viewer. She opened the drawer of her jewelry box and spread her jewels before her. Two centuries later, her jewelry became family heirlooms worn by her modern-day descendants.
Since my older daughter died at age twenty-five, my younger daughter will inherit all of my belongings. And the jewelry Alix wore at the time of her death was passed down, out of order, to her sister and to me. I treasure Alix’s necklace and earrings, and her sister wears her ring. And like the woman in the antique portrait miniature, Alix waves hello. She waves from heaven and waits to greet us when our time comes.
Do you have any family heirlooms that have been passed down?
I treasure the beautiful things I’ve inherited from mymother and grandmother. What is interesting to me is, my children want none of them. To them, if it’s old, it should be donated or tossed. I’m not sure what this says about our memories. But I feel sad that I cannot pass them on.
This is such a touching reflection. Alix’s jewelry isn’t just an heirloom, it’s a living connection between you, her, and her sister. And the love!!