Found Treasures in your home hold stories you can share.

As I go through items I have kept for sentimental reasons, I find that each one has a story. The story is the reason I kept the paperweight Barry gave his mother. The lovely green jar I gave Mother has a special place in my heart. The old trunk that belonged to my grandmother is very special to me and has its story, too, passed down to me by my mother.

Recently Nancy Rowland, food columnist for the Clay County Progress newspaper, featured me and my sister, Gay, in an article. Along with the recipes she printed was a photo of my sister, June's, recipe box. 

June's Recipe Box

I don't have the box in my possession. Gay has it and it is filled with many excellent recipes June used to make. Unlike Mother, June used recipes, and many of them she enhanced or altered to suit her taste. Some of the ones I like best are her Lasagna, and a dish simply called More.

In my writing classes, I often ask my students to find something in their homes, something they have kept for a long time, and write the story that goes with the object. If you write, try this prompt. Look around and find special objects you have kept for a long time. Write their stories. Include where and when you acquired it. Who gave it to you or who did it belong to in the past? Did this once belong to your grandmother or grandfather? Did a dear aunt give you a gift that you treasure? 

When we look at our keepsakes, memories usually flood our brains. We can tell about the person, the place, and the feelings evoked when we hold or look at these items.

My mother kept newspaper clippings about family members. I found wedding announcements and obituaries as well as feature articles about my siblings when they were young. 

Do you have any objects you have kept for years? Write the story that it tells you.