While on the road to visit my daughter and son-in-law, I had a chance to read an article in one of my genealogy magazines. It was about heirlooms. The article talked about what makes an heirloom an heirloom. I had always thought that an heirloom was something old that remained in the family, only to find out that an heirloom was something in the family that had a story to tell. When my grandparents died, my mom got the clock she and my dad made for them in the early 70s. What makes this an heirloom is the story behind the clock. The clock was one of four ceramic clocks my mom and dad painstakingly made after being introduced to fired ceramics when my brothers and I were in 4-H. The mold had to be cleaned, painted and glazed.
Another heirloom is a clock my grandparents had. Yes it is old, but is it an heirloom? In the case of this clock, yes, as it was brought over from Germany by my grandfather's paternal grandparents. Some pictures can be heirlooms when they can tell a story. Heirlooms can also be more recent items for example a decorative pedigree chart, a map showing migration trails of your ancestors. Although I have some heirlooms that are old, it is important that I create heirlooms for my children and grandchildren.