24 November 2013

Surprised by a Keepsake

One of the tasks on my list of things to do is to organize the cedar chest.  It's a mammoth thing, built by my father-in-law when Kevin and I were married.

There's some random stuff in there but I really try to keep linens in there as well as keepsakes.  Every once in a while, I cull through it to make sure that I'm keeping things that are important rather than keeping them for the sake of keeping them.

I have my baby clothes and artwork from grade school.  I have the curtain from Kevin's childhood bedroom, his favorite puzzle, and a special towel that was his.  His mother really didn't keep much stuff, partially as there wasn't much to keep (they were very poor when the boys were young) and they moved around a bit.

I have stuff that my nieces' made us when they were young girls.  I am tempted to give them back, especially now that the eldest has a baby son now but I think I'll wait a bit more time before I do.

There was a small box that I didn't recognize and to be honest, I don't remember ever having.  I don't mind admitting that I got a little teary when I opened it.  It was my grandpa's Christening gown with the "Welcome Baby" card that my great grandmother sent to me when I was born.

My great grandma's name is Amy and for some reason, I feel kind of a kindred spirit with her.  I don't remember her at all and I think she passed when I was very young.  I just love that she gifted this to me and wrote directly to me in the card, although I was a tiny baby.  The idea that she wrote "Love you" is astounding to me because I didn't hear that from any of my family growing up.  Yet there it is.



Now it's time to pass this along.  I'm going to put it in the mail for my niece, whose son is named for her grandpa.  He is the fourth Freddy in our family, the first being Amy's son.