Treasures by the cupful

One can find a lot of treasures at a garage sale. Just today I was hunting through dusty boxes and disorderly piles to find a shoe box in which were piled five saucers, four bowls, and four cups to an old, antique tea set. They were dirty, chipped, and covered in dust, set amongst old frames and worthless objects. I, being the good Scotch collector that I am, paid all of $2 for the set and went home to wash the dishes bordered with dainty flowers. A little soap and shining revealed an antique design, possibly as old as the 1920’s; a nostalgic antique.

Though I know not all Americans share my enthusiasm at adopting old, dusty, outdated objects, I’m still aghast at how so many people who inherit old and priceless treasures from ancestors can throw them in a dirty box and sell them for basically nothing without a thought. What are the memories and stories behind the tea set? What kind of lady served tea with it to her sophisticated neighbors? Doubtless there is a story behind the dainty antique, but how much more could be learned from the knowledge passed down and soaked in from the actual people who lived and breathed in a different time and culture?!

Our generation needs to be very careful in how we dismiss seemingly silly or outdated pieces of history from our parents, grandparents, or even our great grandparents. How much wisdom we can learn from those who have gone before us! I am convinced that the people who do not take care to learn from the lessons unveiled in history are doomed to repeat those hard lessons. May we this generation take care to always be on the lookout for priceless, hidden treasures, for once discovered and revealed we will not cease to give thanks for the blessings they bring that will never wear or fade.