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A family reunion in Savannah taught me to always ask for the story behind the heirloom
I was at my grandma's house in Savannah last summer for a big family get together. My great aunt brought out this tiny, tarnished silver spoon that I'd seen a hundred times before. I always just thought it was an old baby spoon. But this time, I asked her point blank, 'Aunt Carol, where did this really come from?' She told me it wasn't for a baby at all. It was a souvenir spoon my great-great-grandfather bought for his wife on their honeymoon trip to New Orleans in 1912, the only thing they could afford. He carried it in his pocket every day until he could give it to her. I was floored. I'd just seen a 'thing' for years, but asking one simple question unlocked a whole love story. Now, whenever someone shows me an old family item, my first words are 'Tell me about it.' The object is just the start. Has anyone else had a simple question totally change what you knew about a family treasure?
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