Many years ago, my husband’s grandmother handed down some Hummel figurines. They were made in his grandfather’s homeland of Germany. We were honored that she entrusted them to us. They were family keepsakes—a boy with some deer next to him, a pair of figurines with a boy and a girl sitting on fences, and one of a boy and girl playing instruments.
When we got them home, we weren’t sure where to put them. We didn’t have a China cabinet or anything like that, so we carefully wrapped them in tissue paper and put them in a box. We moved from that state to another, but we still didn’t have a good place to display them. We decided we would have to get a small display case soon.
However, shortly after moving to our new state, we had children. We certainly could not put family heirlooms out for display with toddlers running around, so in the box the Hummels stayed. Sadly, we stopped thinking about where to show off our lovely family treasures. We were too busy raising real children to worry about where to display porcelain ones.
Several moves occurred in the ensuing years. Our children became adults, but our Hummel kids looked as young as ever. Recently, we made what we believe to be the last big move of our lives to yet another state. While unpacking boxes, I came across our old/still young friends. As I write this, they are sitting on a bookshelf to my left. Every time I see them, I remember the sweet little lady who gave them to us. She never complained, she loved chocolate, and she loved her family. I have thought of her over the years, but now I think of her every time I look at our Hummels.
I’m sorry it took us decades to take them out of the box. In these digital times, physical items that our ancestors held in their hands have more value than any virtual thing. Sure, things are still just things, but they link one generation to the next, and they can invoke memories of special times and special people.