For me, my possessions are touchstones for memories of lives too full to keep in short-term functional memory, and are now in what I now refer to as my deep storage memory. An object, or a photo, can trigger an instantaneous blooming of images and emotions to relive again. Women invest so much of themselves in the sustaining of children, homes, and the relationships of life. The objects we choose to purchase or keep reflect that, and often speak to our heritage. As I get older and view the mindlessness of the current culture, I value more and more richness of the myriad of small acts of time and attention my that extended family gave to me, just by being in their presence. And I experience pleasure using or viewing those objects, and they connect me with those who have passed and those I cannot spend time with anymore. This kind of attachment is steadying, and strengthening, and full of remembered love.
On May 28, 2023 Lynn Miller wrote: