Parent is set to receive mementos from child's past belongings, items specifically saved for parental preservation
In a recent heartwarming discovery, a son, now a young adult, stumbled upon items from his childhood that had been carefully preserved by his grandparents. These items, which included a box of 64 wax crayons and a collection of plastic squirrels with fluffy tails, served as tangible links to cherished memories and emotional support, fostering a sense of identity and belonging.
Five years ago, the family moved from the English midlands to Dublin, leaving behind many items that were almost outgrown. However, the son had set aside items he thought his mother would want to keep, including these treasured possessions from his grandparents.
The crayons, which had survived years and belonged to the grandparents, held a special place in the son's heart. He had enjoyed playing with the plastic squirrels and carried them around, creating a bond that transcended time. The writer, the son's parent, recalls that the crayons were passed from them to their sons, each colour a precursor of their adult fascination with paint colour names.
The writer's sons' crafting supplies lived in biscuit tins and shoeboxes, a stark contrast to the tidy storage of the grandparents. Yet, the writer found comfort in these items, reminding them of their creative pursuits and shared experiences with their grandparents. The writer tends much more towards contained chaos than their grandparents' neatness in adult life, but these items serve as a reminder of a simpler, more carefree time.
One of the few objects the writer can touch that they touched in early childhood is the hand-carved wooden cradle from the dolls' house, a talisman of the grandfather's love that has been carried across decades and seas and borders. This cradle, along with the plastic squirrels and crayons, symbolise the unresolved affection and care from the past that the grandparents could not give during their grandchildren's childhood.
The writer's sons are now going through their own rooms, discarding childish items, but the plastic squirrels and crayons remain. The writer looks through the names on the labels of the crayons, which are a testament to the writer's enduring love for the colours they associate with their childhood self. The writer wears purple, yellow, crimson, and orange stones on their rings, colours reminiscent of their childhood self, and delights in rose pink, sunset orange, and violet, colours they were taught "didn't go" and couldn't be worn together.
These childhood possessions from grandparents are significant because they serve as emotional healing tools and symbols of unresolved affection and care. They reinforce continued emotional support and personal growth into adulthood, preserve shared memories and traditions that shape identity and emotional wellbeing, and strengthen family bonds, continuity, and a sense of belonging across generations.
In a world where material possessions often lose their significance, these childhood possessions from grandparents stand out as reminders of a love that transcends time and space, a love that continues to nurture and heal, and a love that binds families across generations.
The son's cherished childhood items, such as the survived wax crayons and fluffy-tailed plastic squirrels, not only serve as links to emotional support but also symbolize unresolved affection and care from his grandparents. These home-and-garden trinkets, along with the hand-carved wooden cradle from the dolls' house, highlight a lifestyle rooted in shared memories, traditions, and a sense of belonging that spans generations.
Incorporating the colors of the childhood crayons in their adult life, the writer's sons' crafting supplies, stored in biscuit tins and shoeboxes, become emotional healing tools that preserve family bonds and maintain a link to a simpler, more carefree time, fostering a lifestyle that appreciates the enduring love from the past.
