You know how it is.
You have too much stuff.
Don’t deny it, you do.
Stuff you might consider a family heirloom.
What do you plan to do with it?
Where does it live right now?
What will happen to it when you’re gone?
I’m asking these questions because The Brainy One and his sister have begun the emotional task of clearing out their dad’s personal belongings. It’s never easy and always upsetting.
And it got me thinking.
This beautiful tea service came from Japan in the 1930s. That adventurous great uncle of mine actually brought home two complete tea services, one for his older sister and one for a brother. I believe that they were wedding presents. The tea set in my possession belonged to my great aunt, who left it to my mum. But as mum knew I’d always liked it, she passed it straight on to me.
It lives in a box under the stairs.
Because I have nowhere to display it.
My great uncle didn’t bring two tea services half way across the world to live under the stairs, did he?
What will happen to it when I am no longer here? I like to think that The Boy Child will give it to his future wife, but who knows?
Maybe they’ll drink tea from it.
May be they won’t.
What will they do with it?
And so we come full circle.
**This post is brought to you in association with Sian’s Storytelling Sunday.**
This West London Life 
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