Many items can hold value for one reason or another. For me, there isn’t just one singular item that has been passed down within my family. Rather, I have a collection of items that I've gained from my dad’s time in the military from the large number of souvenirs he's brought home from his time overseas. These items could have come from places close to home such as other states or to places across the globe from areas such as Japan, Greece, India, and Spain. They also consist of stuffed animals, wooden carvings, ornaments, and other assortments of items.         While I’ve garnered a large collection of items from around the globe. The reason I keep them is as a simple reminder that over the course of my life my dad has spent much of my life overseas, and that it’s not just me who is affected by this lifestyle. Rather millions of other children also live a life where their family is in the military and is often away from home on deployment or for other reasons. Despite the distance though, these items helped bridge the gap between where he was and where we were. They helped to serve as a physical proof of the experience spent in a different country away from family.        With plans to pass these items on in the future, they would serve as a reminder that not everyone gets to grow up with their family right by their side and that sometimes a family member is absent due to work or other responsibilities. While the meaning may not be immediately obvious, I can always teach future family members about the importance behind the collection and the story it holds.


 

– E

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant