Learning from the family roots

I was cleaning out a box of stuff collected through the years by my parents and ran across some interesting gems — food for thought and meaningful treasures from the past.

One box contained books, mainly old Bibles with worn pages, marked scripture verses and dates. The books were presented to my parents so long ago.

It’s amazing what gets stored from a person’s life that emerges after they’re gone.

One Bible went back to 1800s Sweden where my father and his father’s ancestors were born and raised. My dad and grandfather immigrated to America in the early 1900s following my great-grandfather and great-uncle and other relatives. An old address book packed away in one cardboard box listed Swedish relatives from the 1800s era. Goteborg, Sweden, was one of the locations that figured prominently in the family’s historical past.

On the maternal side, my mother was born in Pottsville, Penn., her ancestors were a mix of Scotch, German and English. What she was certain about was that her English immigrants landed on Plymouth Rock after the long voyage on the Mayflower. One of these days, I’m going on an ancestry website search to check all of this out as there is so much more technology right at our fingertips to track our past.

One little book tucked away in a box was old, probably dating to the 1940s. It was a pamphlet entitled “Proper Manners for Boys and Girls.”

“Huh,” I thought to myself. “It seems my generation had some pretty interesting guidelines just a few decades ago.”

Other finds included some flavorful needlepoint gems sewn into cloth and framed for the kitchen wall. Then there was a metal and ceramic trivet for the counter that said “Today is the Day You Worried about Yesterday.”

Wow, that does sound like me. I guess I should hang onto that as a reminder that worrying doesn’t accomplish much. At least that’s what my parents always said.

An old cigarette lighter that came from an aunt who was a devout smoker was from the 1940s-50s era and was a token prize she received for winning a bowling tournament in Los Angeles. That side of the family reveled in the sport of bowling. They were extremely competitive and members of a weekly bowling league.

What seemed to be a small pin attached to a gold chain caught my attention nestled in a classic-looking, old wooden box. It had been part of a tie clip, but clip and emblem had separated. The emblem was so tiny I had to get a magnifying glass to read the inscription.

It was my father’s retirement gift from PG&E for all the years of service to the company. He was a dedicated employee, highly thought of by his supervisors and co-workers.

The majority of the finds in the boxes were not all that valuable, mostly just yard sale stuff, but all in very good condition as it had been thoughtfully cared for.

Most everyone over 50 probably has some kind of valuable heirloom from the past that also has special meaning. However, through the years we have become such a disposable society too many tangibles aren’t very “keep-able” like they were years back.

Take for instance that 40s or 50s cigarette lighter … refillable, naturally. You bought the fluid and flints and you were good to go for a few cartons. A decade or so later, plastic versions were invented to be tossed when emptied and the cost is still dirt cheap.

Some of the things I unwrapped from the past didn’t compare to a present-day device by a long shot.

The old telephone was an oak box complete with metal, ringing bells on the outside. It was a relic from the past. The visual comparison showed just how far we have advanced with technology. Imagine phones being disposable?

In reality, I’m figuring that it’s not just the precious stones, gold, silver and brass along with oak, walnut and maple that endure time; it’s more about a meaningful life.

Life just isn’t about things. It’s more about the person behind the things, who we are or who we will be. I wonder what treasures the next generation will be unpacking, saving, tossing, reveling over and how much will reflect their worth.