A French Family Heirloom
📍Musée Louvre, Paris
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An heirloom is considered anything of value that is passed from one generation to the next. Sometimes, it’s something that has substantial monetary value. Other times, it’s simply something attached to a significant memory or moment within a particular family.
I was incredibly close with my maternal grandparents. They are a huge factor in the person I am today. While they’ve been gone for many years, I feel very fortunate to have countless memories with them to cling to and unique trinkets from them that I will always hold dear. The most cherished piece of jewelry I own, apart from my wedding ring, is my grandma’s signet ring with her monogram engraved. I save it for very special occasions to be able to pass it along for Baby Kennedy in the future.
A few months ago, my mom rediscovered a box of my grandma’s things. Inside was a beautiful silk scarf, lovingly saved and perfectly preserved. It still had the faintest note of my grandma’s signature scent, Charlie Red. Even more astounding was that this scarf still had the tags attached. It was an accessory seemingly suspended in time. After some extensive research, I found that the scarf came from a department store in Cherbourg, France, a port city in Normandy, and was purchased in the late 40s.
My grandpa was a career naval man and found himself stationed in Cherbourg after World War II. All of this family history woven into a simple scarf makes the item absolutely priceless. In a post-World War II Europe, I see my grandpa (in his uniform) thinking of my beautiful grandma, thousands of miles away, and shopping at a luxury department store to find her the perfect souvenir. Even through his regimented military-like discipline, my grandpa was a very thoughtful soul and a world-class gift-giver. I know my grandma would have considered this scarf too precious to wear, so she kept it safe. Here we are nearly 80 years later, with the scarf now an heirloom that continues to be loved by a third generation.
As I wore this scarf through Paris during our babymoon, I couldn’t help but feel that four generations of women in my family were present: my grandma, my mom (who gifted me the scarf), myself, and our future baby girl (who will be named after my mom’s side of the family). My dear grandparents sadly never met David, and I wish they were still here every day. Instead, I cherish the moments where I can feel their presence and reconnect with my family’s history.
Love from Paris,
Katie
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