Grandma's jewelry

This was the first time I've been in Ohio since my grandmother passed away in March. In the past few months, my parents and uncles have spent countless hours clearing out her apartment and designating where each piece of furniture, clothing and memorabilia would go. A lot of it was donated, but the rest was slowly delivered to new homes. My sister got a gorgeous, priceless breakfront for her dining room. My parents got a bedroom set and other pieces of furniture. My youngest brother got a desk from Grandma's spare room. And there were various treasures in between.

Most of my grandmother's accessories are at my parents' house. On my first night home, I went through everything and picked out several pieces to keep for myself. Some of the jewelry made me laugh - I could remember Grandma wearing the huge earrings that made her earlobes droop. Her sense of style trumped her worries about permanent damage. Some of the jewelry made me nostalgic -the holiday earrings made me remember the family gatherings that seem so distant now that we've got jobs, spouses, live in different states, etc.

As I sorted through the earrings, rings, pins and necklaces, I wasn't looking for anything in particular, save for the necklace she wore to my wedding. After that, everything was a bonus - and some of the jewelry left me wanting to ask Grandma: "What were you thinking when you bought this?!" and "What on earth did you wear this with?!"

That was the jewelry, like these huge clip-on earrings, that prompted me to take a photo and send it to my sister:

Other pieces, with tags still attached, made me want to have a talk with Grandma: "Grandma, there was a REASON this was on clearance."

But many of them made me sad, wanting to ask "Did Grandpa give you this?" or "What is the story behind this ring?"

It was another reminder that she's no longer here to answer the questions. I can make up my own stories, and I can tell Elle that this ring or that necklace was Grandma Rene's, but I can't tell her how long Grandma had it. I can't tell her who gave it to Grandma, or what occasions she reserved to wear it.
For now, I've expanded my jewelry collection, and I'm reminded of how important tradition and family are - something I hope Elle always remembers.