Maybe They Do ..
And we are all about to find out! Haha.. I already know what's in the box, and it's pretty cool. My Mother-In-Law brought it out to show me several weekends ago, and I was hooked. Not that I was looking for something else to collect (We all know I have been trying hard to part with 'Stuff', not add to the problem), But I just could not resist this one. And NO, It's not a pocket watch, if that is what you are thinking. Although she did show me one of those too.
It Was Sunday ..
And along with that came "Sunday Dinner" with the family. Every Sunday, when we are all available and free from activities, we get together as a family to spend a few hours eating and talking. Most of the time it is pleasant and free of the Italian-Polish drama that fills the air on rare occasions. I won't get too deep into that. haha.
This particular Sunday, my mother-in-law asked me if I would be interested in looking at something, or rather 'some things', and finding out if they are worth selling or not. Otherwise she was considering donating them. She brought out a small, tannish colored jewelry box. I got pretty excited because I love antique jewelry.
But the small tan box was not filled with neat, old jewelry. Nope.. Not a single piece. What lie inside was much more interesting and much more valuable. Maybe the value isn't that which we can place a dollar number on, but more so a sentimental value. A Value I was not willing to let her part with so easily. This needed to stay in the family for a bit longer.
So What Was Inside The Box ALREADY!? ..
Yeah, I have teased you long enough, so let's open her up and find out...
Medals!!!
Lot's and lots of running medals!
To my surprise, these medals survived the years, having been handed down through the family.. And my mother-in-law now had them. I don't blame her for wanting to clean house and rid the clutter of objects that may not be all that interesting to her. My take on it was slightly different. Maybe I am getting more sentimental in my old age, or maybe I saw an opportunity to preserve something for the next generation. Our nieces and nephew (On that side of the family) may one day be glad I decided to save these from being given away. Or maybe not. Who knows. Right now I felt it was the right thing to do.
So The Medals Came Home With Us ..
I will slowly go through them and find out more about them. I know that they came from an uncle of my mother-in-law, who obviously loved sports, and who was probably pretty good at running. lol.
Most of the medals have dates on them from the early 1900's.. 1914, 1917 and so on. It is hard to believe they are over 100 years old and look like they were just stamped into form yesterday. Many of them, like the coins I collect, have awesome details and high relief designs. The box is just filled to the brim with so many to look at and research. This is going to be fun I think.
And for those of you wondering why I am posting this in the Stacker's Community...
The majority of the medals are silver or sterling silver. So the nice part about having these medals and saving them for the next generation of family members is that they are stackable as well! You can't beat that!
I am looking forward to exploring and researching these medals a bit further. Like the one below which was given to New Jersey residents that served in the world war. Unlike the majority, this medal is not sports related. I did observe a few others in the mix that pertain to the war. That alone peaks my interest.
So, This Could Be More Than Just A Box Of Medals ..
It's a box of memories, a box of events that someone lived through, achievements, experiences, victories, and losses. I (We) are rediscovering family, and even more than that; Learning about the importance of the events that they participated in, and quite possibly even survived.
It's Intriguing To Say The Least.
I suppose in this case the saying holds true.. "Good things (DO) come in small boxes."
“The medals of the dead heroes are the coins for the future. (Les médailles des héros morts - Sont les pièces pour l'avenir.)”
― Charles de Leusse
Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!
All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.
The Orchid Lovers Community!
Love Orchids? Consider joining our community. We look forward to seeing you there!!!
The Orchid Lovers Community
A place for people who Love Orchids!
This blog post is not meant as financial advice. I'm not a certified financial planner/advisor nor a certified financial analyst nor an economist nor a CPA nor an accountant nor a lawyer. Conduct your own due diligence, or consult a licensed financial advisor or broker before making any and all investment decisions.
