this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025
26 points (96.4% liked)

Ask Lemmy

30016 readers
2335 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either [email protected] or [email protected]. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email [email protected]. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


6) No US Politics.
Please don't post about current US Politics. If you need to do this, try [email protected] or [email protected]


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Could be an attached memory or sentimental value, whatever.

Conventional worth be dammed.

Given to me it would either be the quilts my grandmother made, or the charts my grandfather followed along with during the moon landing.

Personal items would be the assorted thank you notes the elderly have given me from being in retirement industry. Want to make a collage of them one day.

top 12 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

I have the only family heirloom I want. It's a cutting from my grandmother's monstera.

My grandmother is a miserable person who I have not spoken to in decades (racist, untra-religious). However some of my earliest childhood memories were of playing with my army men in her monstera's leaves. It was small and abused looking back then. She kept it in a dark corner without enough light. When I was around 13 year old, I cut off 2 nodes and 1 leaf and started my own plant from it.

I have almost lost it a few times over the years. Scab, frost, kids, bacterial infections, a couple years overseas relying on someone else to care for it etc. Every time it's come back, started again and kept going.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago

My mother's wedding ring. My father was a monster, so it's not because of the marriage it represents. It was the cheapest he could get, it's thin and worn down and battered, and, of all the kids, she gave it to me. When I die, however I am disposed of, that ring goes with me, because... she gave it to me!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

Whoa, now; I suggest you take a peek at the quilt market. Old quilts in good condition can demand astonishingly high prices.

Photos & letters all fall into this category, I think. I suspect that some future historian might find some value in them, but if we don't extictify ourselves, there's so much digital material - photos, videos, emails - that anyone studying any period after 2000 is going to be doing a much different job, involving much less sleuthing, than those who studied ancient periods.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 hours ago

From my great grandmothers kitchen:

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

My great grandfather’s black leather Stetson flat cap. Wearing it now, in fact.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 hours ago

Great grandfathers service medals from the continuation war.

As I understood it from grandma he was doing damage control when the Soviet fire bombed towns.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

The Don Quijote painting my Babushka made. I love it. I'm glad I got it when she passed. As far as I know there are two in the family. This one and one in blue.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Not worthless. That is some dope piece of art! I bet that would put your dining room together nicely!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

This post actually gave me the idea to make a website with all her art. I hope my relatives participate.

Edit: And it's live at https://brigitte-tantau.de/.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

A rubber stamp of my grandfather's initials, which happens to be exactly my initials.

Nobody else in the family have this initials, so this really would worth anything only to me.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 hours ago

I have a letter opener made by my great uncle for my grandfather.

What makes it interesting is that my great uncle worked as a mechanic for the RAF, keeping Spitfires flying during the Battle of Britain and the letter opener is made from discarded parts from Spitfires he worked on. Not sure what the blade was, some small strut or something, I suppose, and the handle is made of different-sized washers.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 hours ago

My grandfather's dog tags from Vietnam. He always kept them swinging from his rear-view mirror. Swore they kept him safe.

Also swore up and down that he wasn't superstitious, lol.