Gone But Not Forgotten

My favorite dinner plate is finally broken beyond use. It is chipped up badly, front and back, which made it MY telltale plate. I loved this plate because it would not stop working.

But why do I love this plate? Well, I use all of my possessions until they are well past their fair use. I have hand made objects (a scarf that my mother made me when I was in 1st grade that I still use yearly). I have old objects (hand me down clothing I got as a teenager that is older than I am). Interesting items (a comforter that can only be dry cleaned – thus the dogs can’t touch it). And items that honestly are disposable (the tins I keep all of my kitchen utensils in). This plate was from a set that I “inherited” from my father’s mother after she died.

Grandma was an avid cooker with a plethora of dinnerware sets. My mother said she had seen this set used twice. First time is when she met the family for the first time. The second was for a holiday. It was a special set. After she passed, I took this set and her green-flowered Corelle set.

I feel family is supposed to pass itself on, be it through knowledge and wisdom, possessions or money. I was younger when she died, so knowledge and wisdom that one can bestow to a child was presented (Do. Not. Waste.) but the plates are what I have.

The final death blow to the plate was an incredibly large crack that formed in it.

You can hear the plate grinding on itself at the cracked point when any weight is put on it.

Since food particles can get in the crack, fester, and sicken an unsuspecting guest, it must go…to the garden! When come summer I will use it as decoration in my vegetable garden! I can then monitor it to see if it will deteriorate at all – showing how long it takes the Earth to reclaim our “junk”.

What is an important piece that was passed down to you from family? Let us know in the comments area. Have a great one, everyone!

Dianne