| When I was a kid, most Sunday nights were spent at my Great Grandma Luke's house. As all the adults sat visiting in the living room, us kids snuck quietly away to the best part of the house; the basement. What fun I had there with my cousins! At the top of the stairs sat " The Treasure Jar", the most coveted possession my grandma owned. I'm not sure when or why she made it, but it contained bits and pieces of her life, all perfectly pressed onto a paper mache covered vase. After exploring the depths of the cellar, us cousins resurfaced to the top of the stairs. I was filled with awe as we sat looking at all the unique treasures contained both outside and within the jar. Each piece of broken jewelry or other memento had a story to tell. As we sat listening to our parents talking and laughing, I gazed at the intriguing, magical jar. I would imagine amazing stories about all the bits and pieces as we took turns reaching in and pulling out each treasure one by one, laying them down carefully beside it. When I became an adult, I discovered that we were not the first generation to have such a great adoration for the jar. When my sweet Grandma Luke left this world in 1999, the treasure jar was by far the most desired item to be inherited. There wasn't a single person who didn't think the jar should be theirs. A drawing was finally held between the first generation of grandchildren. My uncle Val was elated to receive the jar that had become, in our eyes, the most valuable treasure in all the world. |
In the late 80's, the treasure jar had inspired my mom to make an heirloom of her own. Collecting bits and pieces she had tucked away from my childhood, along with other artifacts from years past, she created a magical jar for future generations to marvel over. I've begged and pleaded these past few years to be it's guardian and protector, but she has yet to relinquish her treasure jar. Maybe someday...
...meanwhile; I gather, collect, and stash my children's memorabilia and gems of bygone eras to adhere to a jar of my own, in hopes that a future mind will be filled with wonder and awe. A family tradition is born!
