My Grandmothers Chain: Final Draft

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.