Necessary Silver

My grandmother was a saver, so I come by my tendency honestly. She had World War II ration books, clothing catalogs and advertisements, and my Daddy's kindergarten paintings in file drawers well into the eighties. Cleaning out her apartment was like opening a time capsule; so much from stories she told us came alive when we held her precious memories in our hands.
She grew up in a small southern Georgia town where calling on friends during the day and having parties at night were the highlights of her life.

She loved pretty things and her father made sure she was right up to date with the latest jewelry and accessories. He even taught her to smoke when she was seventeen because that's what sophisticated ladies of the time were doing. We heard so many stories of him arriving home from a business trip loaded down with gifts for his three beloved daughters.
These gifts meant so much to her that she kept every one and some of her sister's and mother's, too. When she shared them with me I knew she was passing on that great love.