This locket is precious to B.W., a female, age 48.
She says, “this locket belonged to my Grandma. She used to wear it around her neck everyday. It has a picture of my Grandpa and my mom and my uncle on one side and my son Adam as a baby” (on the other side). Her son is now 16 years old.
photo © ASMcClain
photo © ASMcClain
My older sister Marsha died in April 2010, after bravely living with pancreatic cancer for 18 months. My treasured possession, Minnie Mouse, is my symbol for my sister, her bravery, and our sisterhood. During our last visit in January 2010, she said that if she could go on vacation every year, she would go to Disney World because it was the “happiest place in the world.”
At the very end of her life, when Marsha was so sick that I couldn’t reach her on the phone anymore, I wanted to find some way to communicate with her, to let her know how much I loved her and wanted to be with her (she was 900 miles away). Remembering how much she loved all things related to Disney World, I ordered a 6-foot-talk “Walking Air Balloon” in the form of Minnie Mouse and had it delivered to her room. I was at work and got a call on my cell phone from a very groggy sister saying, “guess whose hand I’m holding right now? Minnie’s?! She is so sweet!” In her druggy, foggy state of mind, it was okay to have that substitute for me. When I got home from work that night, I got online and ordered this Minnie Mouse and sent it to her to hold onto through the end of her life….knowing the balloon wouldn’t last as long as she would. I am grateful that my brother-in-law returned it to me after she died.
I now give gifts of stuffed Minnie Mouse dolls to the very special people in my life……my daughters, great nieces, and very special friends. They connect us a family to a legacy of love and bravery, to remembering the joys and happy times of life even when we are fighting difficult battles, and most importantly, to sisterhood. Marsha — Minnie — forever.
ASM, female, age 55
“This is a gift from my daughter. It is representative of Ama, the Indian woman who gives the best hugs in the world. She went and got a hug from her and then got me that as a Christmas gift and it symbolizes the physical and loving relationship that my daughter and I have that is really important to us. My daughter is 22.”
shared by W.B. female, age 46
Treasures Of Everyday Life 