Polishing Silver with my Grandmother

My grandmother died in 1991. Sixteen years later, I received a wedding gift from her.

Last night, I took out my grandmother's silver in preparation for Thanksgiving and realized how meditative polishing is for me. It gives me a chance to feel like I'm spending time with my Nana and the generations of women who had the silver before me. I cherish the ritual of it all...taking each individual piece and making it shine in anticipation of loved ones who will be traveling near and far to share a day of celebration and fellowship. While polishing, I can see my grandmother's face so clearly and remember her voice, her scent, the way she carried herself with poise and grace. I think back to all of the women in my family who spent hours going through the same ritual before a special meal and feel connected to them. 

I wish my grandmother was still with us to share stories of the silver with me and explain the different engraved monograms and tell me about the origins of various pieces. While my mom and I aren't positive of how far back the collection goes, there are pieces with dates from the early 1900's and late 1800's. 

I'm so appreciate that my grandmother had the foresight to share this special gift with me; that I can feel as though I'm spending time with her through polishing the silver. Now that I have a daughter of my own, I look forward to sharing this ritual with her and telling stories of her great-grandmother.

Happy Thanksgiving!