Die Vergangenheit / The Past

To come from a land that is comparatively still quite "young", it is such a stark contrast to marry into a family where history can be traced back long before my homeland even became a country. Many years back, a few of my husband relatives decided to do the exact same thing that I did... make another country their home. A recent visit from the relatives from Chile sparked the need for a family reunion. Gathered at the family home, distant relatives, many of whom I had never met, and most of whom I had, gathered to celebrate and embrace the heritage of just where it is that they have come from.

My husband's grandmother had gathered several of the family heirlooms together, almost like a museum exhibit, to introduce and remind those of the history of the family name. Photos of ancestral patriarchs and matriarchs were among the treasures of heirlooms.

Precious silver pieces that were given as a wedding present in 1822, shined just as brightly as if they had not even served hundreds of meals that they had over the generations.

An antique sewing box from Paris, once belonging to a Lieutenant in the the family, despite it's almost 200 year old age, cracked mirror, and missing pieces, was still so fascinating.

A tea set belonging to my husband's great, great, great grandmother looked as if it were ready to serve the next cup of hot tea or coffee with cream and a lump of sugar.

Old documents full of family history, births, deaths, baptisms, and other stories accompanied the precious antiques that filled the room. One document even dated back to 1579 when the Count in the region had released the family estate to my husband's family.

I was truly taken aback and amazed. For so long, I have desired to embrace history and the things that make us who we are. I have always been sentimental and while many may overlook those things that they just consider "old", it seems to speak to that deep longing that has been hidden in me. It is sometimes a hard thought to think that I will have the respsonsiblity to carry on those things... things that I feel are deeper than what I realize. It is only just a small part of the history that I have to tell...