When I was about six years old, I often played in my parents" room. On one rainy afternoon, I found myself pawing through my mom's belongings. The makeup drawer had entertained me for awhile, but soon I got bored with slathering on foundation all over myself. I looked around the room trying to find something interesting. Then I found. Inside my mother's jewelry box was a dazzling necklace with sapphires and diamonds glittering in the light. Curiosity took over me, and soon I draped the old necklace around my neck. Later at dinner, my mom saw my scrawny neck decorated with the necklace. Startled, she asked me where I had gotten that necklace. I calmly told her that I had discovered it in her jewelry box. Trying to contain herself, my mom explained to me that the necklace belongs to our family, therefore making the necklace a family heirloom. That day of playing dress-up taught me that heirlooms are the perfect tool to teach about family heritage.
Heirlooms teach a family what their ancestors did to pass time. So much about our family history originates from heirlooms. In the short story Everyday Use, Grandma Dee would sew beautiful quilts. One of the characters, Dee, only wanted the quilts so she can show them off. She had no intention of valuing the quilts for what they were. Maggie, another character in the story, ended up keeping Grandma Dee's quilts. Maggie knew how to quilt herself, and she was able to appreciate her family heritage. But not all heirlooms explain to us about what our ancestors did. The necklace that I played with cannot explain to me what my ancestors did. There are only stones and jewels on the necklace; however, my family happens to own another heirloom. Inside my living room, an antique piano rests on the floor. The piano belonged to my mother, who played it all the time when she was younger. The piano represents our family's artistic and creative side. Just as I have learned about how my family developed our imagination, other families learn about the actions of their ancestors.
