The favorite possession I own is a set of pearl earrings in a silver setting. While the pearls are not overly valuable, they are real. However, these earrings are my favorite possession for a much bigger reason than their appearance or their material worth. They are my favorite possession because they belonged to my great grandmother, grandmother, mother, and now me.
The pearl earrings I own are a family heirloom. They were given to my great grandmother by my great grandfather as a wedding anniversary present when they were in their sixties. My great grandmother then passed them on to her daughter, my grandmother, who in turn gave them to my mother. My grandmother gave the pearl earrings to my mother on her sixteenth birthday, and my mother provided them to me on my sixteenth birthday. While there are prettier earrings and more expensive earrings, I never feel quite as special when I wear these earrings because of their significance to my family.
The pearl earrings are about the size of a dime and hang from a setting that is silver. I always provide them with optimal care, making sure the settings are firm and cleaning them regularly. When I wear these earrings I feel like I am furthering our family heritage and legacy. I think of all the wonderful memories and moments these earrings were a part of for the women in my family, being worn to weddings, funerals, christenings, and other special events. I put them on and feel like I am about to make a new memory with them, that will add to their history and enrich them for the day when I present them to my own daughter when she is sixteen.
While many people judge jewelry by its appearance or material worth, when I look at my pearl earrings I feel like I am a very rich girl indeed. However, these riches stem from their history and family heritage as well as all the special memories contained within them. In a certain sense, they re
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