“Visiting My Dishes”

By

Gerry Niskern

I had lunch at my bachelor son’s house the other and had a pleasant surprise when he served it on my dishes. Like all families we passed dishes on to the kids when they got their own place.

I started thinking about it, and really I started passing what I’ll call “Family Heirlooms” a long time ago. It was fun to see family members using them. Why wait until  I was gone? A long time ago I decided I wanted to know who would cherish and actually use treasured items of mine.

At a family birthday party last year it was a pleasure to watch my granddaughter serve the cake on my dessert plates, while the cake crowned my cake stand. The best thing about giving this granddaughter heirlooms is that she treasures old things and her daughter will learn to also.

The handmade quilt that I had as a child and actually had helped poke the needles up thru from under the quilting frame while my mother and her friends worked on it, will be in good hands. The story that goes with it will be passed along. The stories are valued as much as the items.

My other granddaughter lives in Alaska so it is a little harder to add to her household, but I did manage to carefully wrap and send an exquisite glass plate that my grandmother brought with her when she came to America in the l880’s. A difficult feat when you are traveling Steerage. I treasured it and I know she will too. It was her great great grandmothers!

A small unique Cedar chest is waiting at my great grandsons house for his daughter, with its sweet, scripted story inside.

Families have always passed down dishes, crystal, jewelry, furniture. It’s a wonderful tradition. And the best part is it doesn’t matter what your financial circumstances are, you always have the ability to give something you loved to someone younger and then sit back and watch them enjoy it.

When I was sixteen and visiting my Aunt Ann she insisted on giving me one of her ceramic serving bowls. At the time I really wasn’t interested in having it, but now it is one of my cherished possessions. When I see it I think of the good times we had in her house.

Start passing along some of your treasures. L promise it will bring you happiness