BELOVED TREASURES

I have the key in my hand. The key has been in my family since my great grandparents. The key holds many valuable treasures dating back to my great grandparents. It's up to me to decide what to do with these treasures.

I don't know how to let go of these beloved treasures. My heart is telling me to keep my treasures but my mind is telling me Genesis it's time you let them go. My problem is letting go of my beloved treasures is going to be extremely difficult because of the promise I made.

My attic is filled with so many beautiful antiques from clocks to China dolls, old photographs of my family. My great grandmother's and grandmother's wedding dress and so much more. How can I possibly let all this go.

My favorite treasure is a pendant necklace that holds the picture of my grandparents. This pendant is so beautiful. My grandmother gave me the pendant when I turned sixteen. She told me the pendant helped her through the war knowing her beloved husband, my grandfather was in her heart.

I love this pendant with all my heart. My grandmother God rest her soul gave me the key to keep the treasures as part of our family history. I took her words to heart and promised her I will never let them go.

Now Genesis you have the hardest task imaginable putting my family history to bed but before I do I have to take one last look at my family history. It's going to be hard but I have to do this. Grams, I know you're watching me and I'm sorry for what I have to do. It breaks my hard to disappoint you Grams but I have to let these precious treasures go. I'm not throwing them out. I'm putting them in a safe place.

I grab the key from my drawer and head to the attic. I open the door and enter. Wow, look at everything my family has gathered in the generations before I arrived. I don't know how they kept everything together, I'm glad they did. Standing in the corner are the wedding dresses of my great grandmother and grandmother, both are timeless. I grab the dress bags I brought with me and put the two dresses inside. Now I go to the nearest box and open it.

I take out photographs and jewelry. I look at the photos and boy does my grandmother look beautiful. My grandfather was a lucky man. My mother looks exactly like Grams. They both have a natural beauty. I put this photo on the side. The next picture I take out is of my grandfather.

My grandfather was a strong, kind, caring man. He was brave and devoted to my grandmother and to this country. The picture I'm holding proves that. Before the U.S. entered World War 2, my grandfather Henry was a pilot with the Army. He loved to fly. He was the best pilot in the Army. At that time the U.S. wasn't worried about the war in Europe but every day the war was getting closer to us. My grandfather without telling my grandmother volunteered to go to England and join the RAF as part of the Eagle Squadron. This picture is of my grandfather in his uniform. He's a hero. I also put this picture on the side.

There are so many pictures of my family, old and new alike. This one is my favorite picture. It's of my two favorite people other than my grandparents, my mother and father. I remember my mother showing me this picture. She smiled so much while she was telling me the story. This picture was taken at the beach the day my father proposed. A few days later my father got drafted and went to Vietnam. My mother told me this was the best day of her life other than the day my father came home, her wedding day and the day I was born. I also put this picture on the side.

I look deeper in the box and find a jewelry box. I know this jewelry box, it belonged to my great grandmother Louisa or Lou as the family called her. She was a beautiful woman with a kind heart and a kind soul, that's how my grandmother described her mother. I open the jewelry box and inside is a lone ring. the ring belonged to great grandma Lou, it's her engagement ring. This is a beautiful ring. I close the jewelry box and set it aside with the pictures. The keep pile and the pile that is going into storage. The two wedding dresses and my grandfather's Army uniform are going into storage.

I pick up another box and open it. Inside the box are rose petals and a note. A Rose for My Rose thinking of you always. My grandfather gave these rose petals to my grandmother. How romantic? I'm not throwing theses away. They are going into storage. I put them next to the wedding dresses and the Army uniform.

I find old books and newspapers dating back to the 20's and 30's. I look at them and decide to keep some of them and the other's I'm donating to the local library. It would be nice to see kids and adults enjoying a piece of my family history.

I pack up the books and newspapers in a box and put them next to the storage pile. I find another box labeled war time treasures. I open the box and inside I find letters written by my grandmother to my grandfather. I open one letter and it is dated 1941, prior to the U.S. entering the war. The letter reads.

My dearest love

Today is our anniversary. We've been together for two whole years. Can you believe that? I can't believe it. I believed our families would tear us apart. I'm glad I was wrong. Do you know where I am right now? I am at the spot where our eyes first set upon each other. This spot brings me peace and happiness. You bring me peace and happiness even though we are an ocean apart. Survive for me my love so we can have many years together. may this letter and all the letters I send you keep you safe and warm.

Wow, this letter is so beautiful. My grandmother never talked about the war neither did my grandfather. They only talked about the happy memories. I put these letters in my keep pile.

I look deeper in the box and I find a picture of my great grandfather. He's in a military uniform. This picture is from the first World War. I never knew my great grandfather served in the First World War. I wonder why this part of the family history was kept from me? I don't know what to do with this picture. Deep in the box I find another set of letters. I take out the letters, they are very old letters. 1917, the year the U.S. entered World War One and all the way until the war ended in 1918.

I take one of the letters and read it. Wow, this letter is sad. My great grandfather Samuel was severely injury. No one knew if he was going to survive. That's the reason why no one ever talked about this. I'm glad great grandfather Samuel survived or else my grandmother, mother and me would not have been born. I put the picture and the letters in the keep pile.

There is so much history in the attic that letting go is bring tears to my eyes. I'm finding more and more pictures of my family throughout the years. I also find my mother's wedding dress. Dresses that belonged to me as a child. I also find an old dresser that I assume belongs to great grandma Lou. This is a beautiful dresser. How am I going to get this into storage? I open some of the drawers and I find antique mirrors and brushes. I take them out and put them in the keep pile.

I finish separating all my family treasures into keep piles and the ones that are going into storage. I knew this was going to be hard for me, letting go of the one thing my grandmother asked me to treasure is the hardest thing ever but I know it's the right choice. At least I'm keeping some of my treasures with me. I'm putting all the pictures into albums so the rest of my family can enjoy them, the same with the letters.

Grams, I hope you are not disappointed in me for what I am doing. I thought about this for a long time and this choice was hard for me to make. I didn't know how to let go and this is the reason why it took me so long to put our beloved treasures away.

I'm looking out for our family treasures from a far away place. They will be safe. I promise.