Oldest boy popped in with the grand-kids one night last week. What a sweet surprise! There’s nothing lovelier than seeing his beaming face as they wrap their tiny arms around my neck or call out, “Nana!”
Little MJ, now 2, has a mind of her own. She follows big brother around like the shadow she is and wants to try everything he does. So when he happened to notice my little collection of curio items, she stopped to have a look, too.
Now, it’s not like they’ve never been here. There’s just been other things to play with.. and we’ve been outside a lot. There’s part of me that probably should have put these items up and away. But .. I haven’t. And I don’t think I will.
See I think it’s important that they learn to how to carefully handle such delicate items as they look at them in wonder. I did. I remember treasures displayed in my grandparents’ houses and I remember being told to be careful. And I was.
Miss M.J. "discovering" Nana's music boxes and trinkets
It’s important that not everything be childproofed because the world .. isn’t. I think it’s just as valuable that they learn how to navigate in it, how to hold something fragile in their tiny hands and how not to be reckless.
Just like my Grandma’s or Nana’s homes, my house is comfortable but lived in. Our furniture is functional and well used. There are no obvious dangers, cleaning supplies are up and away. But a few delicate items are on display because they mean something to me and I like to see them.
See that blue porcelain dish she’s examining? A former boss brought it to me all the way from Russia. It’s even inscribed in Russian. Neat.
That little tea pot just behind her right hand? That’s from my sappiest of sisters. The one who sends cards infused with sentimental messages that make me cry, decorated with flowers, kittens and sparkles.
There are tea sets, music boxes and figurines and all of them – every single one – mean something to me.
But the sweetest one of all is that little metal dish in the lower left corner, see the one with the green ball on the lid? That’s MJ’s favorite and mine as well. Why? Because that – that was my Nana’s and she passed it on to me. It’s a music box from pre-WW II days and yes it still works. I don’t know the name of the tiny little song that plays but I do know this … I remember carefully holding it in my hands when I was just a girl. I remember being oh so thrilled to wind the key and the delight that followed when that familiar tune plinked away. I’ve had it with me since she passed away… 39 years now.
And someday, little MJ, her brother and any future grandchildren will inherit my little collection of music boxes & trinkets. And they won’t have to wonder what they are or where they came from. They’ll already know.
How about you? Do you have special treasures that take you back to a certain time & place? And … do you share them?
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How will our children know who they are if they do not know that from which they came?
