Heirlooms

I loved my Grandma ... still do. She was so practical and frugal and cute in every way. I've inherited a few things of hers that remind me of the way she was when she was healthy and aware. When she passed away, she had a severe case of dementia that completely clouded her view of everything and everyone. It was so hard to see her like that and at the same time, try to remember who she really was. When I look back on her life and how it inspires mine, I see her simple beauty and strength.

I don't remember her wearing this hat, but she probably made it (she was an expert crocheter and knitter) and it's now one of my favorite things.

I think that sometimes it's easy to look back on earlier decades and get inappropriately nostalgic for certain eras. Sometimes I like to think that our parents and grandparents lived in this amazingly retro time period where everything was picture perfect. But, it wasn't perfect, not even close (and it wasn't retro to them ... duh). They made mistakes and would want us to learn from them and continue to advance in the ways that we are and will in the future.

This watch that belonged to my Great Aunt Elizabeth serves as a good reminder to me to enjoy the things of the past while looking forward to everything that I'm meant to accomplish in this life. 

I'm so grateful for the legacy that's been left by the amazing women in my family that I can now carry on and improve and someday pass down the line. 

xo

kelci