Heirlooms

by Polly Colcord

Speaking of clutter, I wanted to share with you an article I read in one of the blogs I subscribe to. The blog, Unclutterer, is sometimes too severe for my taste, but frequently there are tips there I can use, and just reading it daily reminds me of my Lofty Unclutter Goal.

Today's post Family heirlooms: Give them away at milestone celebrations, hit the mark with me. My mother and my grandmother both have given to my brothers and me many of the things we wanted before we would otherwise "inherit" them. Doing this way has a two-fold benefit for the recipient: no sad connotations and you get it while you still have room in your life for it.

Above is a picture of the dresser my grandmother gave me. My mother's mother was the genesis of several of our family traits -- artsy-fartsiness, love of nature, and, sad to say, clutter-collecting. She painted this dresser either in the late 60s or early 70s. It was in the room where I would stay when I spent the night with her and I spent many a sleepy moment looking at those ladies fishing.

One of the unique things about it is that she actually signed it, unlike most of her paintings. The name "Colcord" is above the house on the bottom right.

When I became an adult I asked her if she would leave it to me and she agreed. One day, out of the blue, she called me up and offered to give it to me if I would come get it. Thus, I've been able to enjoy this piece for many years now, and plus my girls also grew up with it. Neither have asked me for it, but who knows, maybe my granddaughter will.