Tad Brown
Mr. McElveen
American Literature
12 August, 13
My Grandmothers Chain
My whole life
revolves around one item. Not a sport, not a color, not even my favorite place
to be. What my life revolves around is a rusty old chain. This chain has been passed
on for generations, and now it belongs to my grandmother. This chain has three
charms, a cross, a treasure chest, and a picture from my great great-grandfather.
You can hardly make out what each charm is, but my family will always know.
The cross is a
copper charm with an engraving of Jesus Christ with the word “sacrifice”
written on in. The cross is also the biggest charm on the chain because it is
the most important to my family. Next, you might wonder why a treasure chest is
on our family chain, but every family member receives a small wooden treasure
chest when they are born. Each year that person puts one significant item from
that past year to remember it by. The last charm that hangs on the chain is a
portrait of my great-great grandfather.
It is a picture of him looking dapper in his sear sucker suit with an
unlighted Cuban cigar. Every charm is on
the old chain for more than just the look of it. As I browse through the charms
I see the deeper meaning, which is kept closely to my family.
Looking at the
charms not only reminds me of what they are, but what they symbolize. The cross
is not there just to stand for the major role religion plays in our family, but
it represents the miracles that we have experienced in our life. For example,
in 2008 my oldest sister was driving on I-10 on the way home from a regular day
at school. I was at football practice, and my other sister was at play
practice. My mom was two hours late to pick us up only to tell us the tragic
news. My sister was involved in a very serious car accident, and she was placed
in critical condition at the emergency room. As the painful days grew longer,
we finally received the news we have been waiting for, that my sister would be
okay. Jane Lloyd ended up fine besides a
month’s sentence to be on crutches with a broken femur. This miracle has and
will stick with me forever. Every time I see that cross, it reminds me to never
take anything for granted, and to cherish every moment you remain to have in
this world.
The treasure chest
is just a few boards and some nails with some mementos included in it. I see my
childhood, my future, and my past. Sometimes when I have a bad day or I feel alone,
I go to my treasure chest, open it, and rummage through the items in it. It is
like I am watching a movie of my life ever since I was born. This brings me
great joy and makes me forget what I was even sad about. Without my, “memory lane chest” I do not know
how I could get through some of the dark times I have been through. The treasure
chest stands for more than even my life. Each year at thanksgiving, my whole
family shares what they collected from this past year and what they hope to
collect for next year. The chest’s represent the symbol of togetherness in my family
that I believe makes us so much closer then we would have been without it.
Lastly
the picture of my great great-grandfather is mostly charred up around the edges
because of the fire. He was the greatest man anyone could ever meet, but unfortunately
I never knew him, but by looking at the picture I feel like I have known him
for years. It is a connection I have without any stories, description, or
records of my great great-grandfather that is special to me. This picture has a deeper meaning to my
grandmother because she knew him so well. Every time my grandmother looks at
the portrait she gets this mysterious lugubrious face. I ask what is wrong, but
she will never tell me. She just closes her eyes and says, “Let us just put the
chain back up now”. However, she is
quite the extrovert. That makes me
doleful, because I want to know the even deeper meaning. However, having that
mystery makes me appreciate the portrait that much more.
These three
symbols have guided me to be the person I am today, along with the person I am
hoping to become. I am always found rummaging through my grandmothers attic to
find more treasures, more values that I can care about. Although writing this
paper has emphasized that my grandmother’s chain is all I need. It may be a
rusty old piece of scrap metal to an onlooker, but to me, it stands for my
life.
