My great-grandfather’s coin collection, along with his entire office, is very dear to me. The collection originally belonged to his father, who passed it down to him. After his passing away, my grandmother inherited it. It remains an important memory for my family. 

He spent his final years in a house in Georgia. He was a simple man, a German teacher in a community college. After his retirement, he dedicated his free time to being a farmer. He never once in his life got a license or drove a car, always opting for his bicycle, and I mean it. He would still ride the bicycle months before his death, at the age of 87. We rarely visit the house now, mostly in the summer when the weather is good. Over time, the house ages and changes, yet his office on the first floor remains untouched. The time changes but the room is stuck, frozen in time. 

My grandmother promised to pass down his coin collection to my mother, who will also, in many years, pass them down to me. And when that day comes, I will treasure it, not because of its worth but because of the memories of my great grandfather, despite only being able to meet him when I was too young to remember. 

 

– EB

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant