Things from your childhood your parents kept

[walnutred]

My mom is 96 and finally had to move to assisted living. My sister and I are sorting through her apartment and today I was cleaning out my dads old desk. In the bottom drawer I found my old slingshot. We lived in a small town
when I was growing up. I made this in the late 60's.

If I remember correctly Dad didn't mind me taking out an occasional squirrel but my slingshot disappeared after an incident involving a stray cat. And yes, for you observant types, the slingshot is canted for a left handed hold.

 

[Greyman50]

You are fortunate, have a storage unit full of things from the past….

 

[jimmyj]

Boy Scout items and a wooden handgun my Father carved for me.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

ME............

 

[robvious]

folks had a box for each kid with all the "notable" school projects from grade school.. lol
I was SO creative... I drew new lines and still couldn't color inside them...

 

[charlie sherrill]

My grandmother remembered the depression and kept any kind of container she could find, bags, jars, cans...anything to store anything. Her house was full of it when she passed away.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I gave my son and daughters all my keepsakes a while back. Can't store that stuff forever. My Pastor told me once "There are no pockets in a shroud".

 

[moralem]

My wife doesn’t understand why I collect firearms and other items. She sees them as just stuff the kids will just have to get rid of when I pass away. I guess she is right about the hoarding, but I explain it to myself differently. Not having had anything really left to me by my parents or grand-parents I want my kids and their spouses, along with my grandchildren, to have things of substance and value left behind to them to have to sort through as kind of a legacy. Of course there will the financial estate that will be left to them according to my will and trust but that isn’t the same as sifting through things that I collected and loved. I may be misguided in my thinking but that is how I feel and it gives me a sense of connectivity that as an old man, wants to have as my remaining years diminish. I am content.

 

[Model 19 6"]

Mom was always in the yard hitting me ground balls for extra practice. She kept my school letter and team MVP award. She deserved it, thanks MOM!!!

 

[Krogen]

My wife doesn’t understand why I collect firearms and other items. She sees them as just stuff the kids will just have to get rid of when I pass away. I guess she is right about the hoarding, but I explain it to myself differently. Not having had anything really left to me by my parents or grand-parents I want my kids and their spouses, along with my grandchildren, to have things of substance and value left behind to them to have to sort through as kind of a legacy. Of course there will the financial estate that will be left to them according to my will and trust but that isn’t the same as sifting through things that I collected and loved. I may be misguided in my thinking but that is how I feel and it gives me a sense of connectivity that as an old man, wants to have as my remaining years diminish. I am content.

I understand. I have things my Mom and Dad owned. The ones that mean the most are those they used, the ones they held and did something of value or substance. I feel close to my folks when I also use these items. Mom's cast iron skillets mean a lot when I cook something in them. Dad's toolbox and his tools. I have firearms that belonged to each of them. My folks are gone, but using their possessions puts me close to them. So yes, I get it.

 

[BC38]

My step mom outlived my dad by around 12 years.
When she died and we cleaned out their house, we found a full set of house plans I drew in my Advanced Architectural Drawing class as a junior in high school.
I had no idea that dad would hold onto something like that for 40 years...

 

[THE PILGRIM]

My Mother kept my 4H Ribbons for years.
She told me to take them about 137 times.
I failed to do so, and when she downsized my Ribbons were trashed!

 

[Golddollar]

I understand. I have things my Mom and Dad owned. The ones that mean the most are those they used, the ones they held and did something of value or substance. I feel close to my folks when I also use these items. Mom's cast iron skillets mean a lot when I cook something in them. Dad's toolbox and his tools. I have firearms that belonged to each of them. My folks are gone, but using their possessions puts me close to them. So yes, I get it.

After my dad and his oldest brother died, I made sure to get some of their shirts and coats to wear. I have some of my mom's kitchen stuff and some of my dad's guns.

 

[GypsmJim]

The thing is what they DIDN'T keep.

When flea markets came alive and selling stuff was the thing to do I asked Dad what ever happened to my baseball card collection. I had a Mickey Mantle rookie card, plus a lot of other from the 1950's.

"Oh, we threw them away years ago". Ugggghhh.

 

[mckenney99]

I guess my folks were unsentimental. When I moved out to go to college anything I left behind disappeared. The only things left when I came home to visit were my Hot Wheels collection and old worn Tonka Toys and those were passed on at one point to the son of one of my brother's many soon to be ex-wives.

 

[ladder13]

Some of my grade school report cards. My wife read them
after we were married, and realized why I am the way I am.
I may post them someday.