So I’m thinking this evening about things that I have collected from family members who have gone on before me.
I am surrounded by objects that belonged to others, and now belong to me. I see these things every day, and touch many of them every day, and they are part of my life now.

In no particular order:
Grandma Carter: her formal china. A living room table. My favorite lamp.
Grandma Blocher: her formal silverware. A chenille bedspread. An antique wall mirror. Various pieces of cookware. A great deal of lovely stemware.
Great-grandmother Slade: a double bed.
Aunt Esther: two wall mirrors. Two lamps. A bedroom suite. An antique platform rocker, now reupholstered in my colors. Some paintings. And in a few days, a china cabinet.
My mother: Fireking Jade-ite dishes. An antique dining room table. An antique buffet.