Sentiments from the past

I wonder how many of us keep something we could never part with for anyone, nor all the tea in China? It doesn't need to be anything valuable.

I have my grandfathers old tool box, still with some tools in it. I have notes my Mum wrote, and quite a few of my past dogs milk teeth I've collected over the years.
Not the slightest bit of interest to anyone else, but they are to me.

Have you any relics from the past that are precious to you for some reason?

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Photographs of my lovely mum who passed away less than 2 years ago. I can't look at them often as I find it too upsetting and almost unbelievable to accept she's no longer around.

Old letters from my dad to my mum when he was in the army and she was pregnant with moi, he always talked about me even though I hadn't surfaced!

Birthday cards from mum, always chosen with great sentiment and knowing in the latter part of her life her eyesight was failing fast so her handwriting suffered but she was still determined to make her mark and I could see how her shaky hands had made equally shaky lettering which I found so endearing as I knew she had struggled to complete such messages of love.

She had good dress sense and we often liked the same things so I have a couple of her coats that are quite trendy and I wear then often, great minds..

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When I was at Grammar School we had a report 'book' which followed us all the way through the school - I still have it and I look back upon my schooldays with much fondness.

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A pen, its just a gold coloured papermate pen.

When I was about 6 my mother gave it to my father as a Christmas present from me to my father.. He loved it and used it all the time.

Then it went missing and although we searched high and low it had gone..Dad blamed me he said I must have used it and lost it.
Years passed and the pen never re-surfaced ..Then my parents decided to get a new sofa and before the old one went dad tipped it up and slit the liner underneath to see if any coins or other stuff had fallen down between the arms..A few pennies popped out and then the pen came rolling out.

In 1985 my dad died and my stepmother handed me the pen. She said 'you need to have this, your father used it every day and every time he picked it up he told me how guilty he felt about blaming you for loosing it. He never touched this without thinking of you.'

Its still just a cheap papermate pen but the link to dad makes it priceless.

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That is so touching, Cass.
I know exactly how your father must have felt...

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I have a number of things
A black silk shawl from my paternal Grandmother. I don't remember her, she died when I was a baby a few weeks after my Mother.
A masonry trowel my Dad used to used,
A small silver Miniature Schnauzer a gift from my friend and previous employer.

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Ahh, what lovely touching posts .

I have a bag full of my children's first school writing books from age 5 . My two children's prefect badges and other school work . I get them out for the little ones and we read mummy and her brothers first school work. Makes tears come to my eyes .

45 years on .

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My first birthday card and me in the coat my mother made, gee ain't I sweet and have never changed. No longer have the coat but do have the wooden chair my father made for me on that day and the hand glove puppet.

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My son said to me not long ago, "Why do old people collect so much junk!" Cheeky blighter!
What they don't understand is, they are our memories. Each little treasure we keep has a cherished memory behind it, that is precious to us, and nobody else.
I've got loads more bits and bobs than I mentioned in the original post, like birthday cards, a card and letter my vet sent me upon the death of a dog I loved more than anything, an Easter card my son made for me when at infants school, and enough photo's to paper the walls with. I've got Mum's wedding ring, Dad's cygnet ring, and even plants to look after that belonged to people I loved. During the war, my Dad was sent to India, and he kept a beautiful diary of events. On every page he tells Mum how much he loved her and missed her.
I have wondered what will become of these things when we depart, will our families just throw them in a skip?

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Mups , when I go to charity shops I see what were once precious things owned by someone who would have cherished them . A little vase with "best grandma" on , or a plaque saying " happy anniversary " . All holding memories at one time .

I've no doubt that my stuff will be dumped by the kids , but I don't mind , it's the circle of life