15 Heartwarming Stories About The Possessions That Connect People To Their Pasts

Sometimes the smallest things have the most meaning. Learn how you can protect your personal items with State Farm®.

We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about items that connect their past to their present. Here are some of their touching responses!

1. "This sapphire necklace my husband gave me the morning of our wedding connects me to his past."

Casey C

"My husband's sister helped him find a new chain for the sapphire pendant which belonged to their mom (a gift to her from their dad). Since my husband's mom passed away when he and his sister were little, I never had the pleasure of meeting her, so the necklace and its connection to multiple people in his family feels extra special."

—Casey C.

2. "This is my Nana’s keychain."

Ashley C

"I don’t know when she got it, but I know that whenever we drove anywhere, her keys dangled from the ignition by this tiny heart. I can’t remember if I asked anyone if I could have it after she passed away, but I know my keys have been held together by it for the last 16 years. Her initials are attached to every first adult milestone I’ve had (first real car, first real car accident, first grown-up apartment, etc.), so in a way she still is too. It means the world to me."

—Ashley C.

3. "This is a little safe my sister handed down to me when she went to college."

Jason S

"It doesn’t lock. I no longer keep anything in it. But I’ve always loved puzzles, locks, and games — and this piece just reminds me of her and my obsession with those things."

—Jason S.

4. "Mine is a 30-year-old pencil I used in kindergarten."

ashleyc44444ba02

"My parents got it for me from a roadside attraction. It says Mini Dancer, and the flower actually does a wiggly dance if you twist the end."

—ashleyc44444ba02

5. "This ring has been passed down in my family."

allimarieb2

"My great grandmother got it when she turned 16; she gave it to my grandmother when she turned 16. My mom received it when she turned 16, and I got it on my 16th birthday. I hope to continue this tradition if I have a daughter."
—allimarieb2

6. "This is my collage that has been growing since high school."

Carol E

"There was plenty of downtime in my yearbook class in high school, so I spent many class periods collaging with old magazines in a back room. I liked them so much that I took a few of them with me to college to decorate. As the years passed, I'd collage and color as a way to de-stress from the pressure and demand of school and later a new job in a new state. From high school classrooms to the walls in my first 'big girl' apartment, this collage has grown and followed me for nearly eight years."

—Carol E.

7. "I received this mug as a gift from my mom."

Kyle D.

"Growing up, my extended family and I would rent a cozy home in Montauk, New York, every summer. We’d head to the beach every morning around 9 a.m., but not before stopping at our favorite breakfast spot, a food truck named the “Ditch Witch” (named so because it resided in the Ditch Plains region of Montauk’s coast). It’s been many years since I’ve ventured to the end of Long Island with the fam, but my mother recently snagged this super-cool mug she found at a store for me, a reminder of the summers spent eating cinnamon rolls and breakfast sandwiches on the beach with my family. Now, I think of those summers every time I sip a decaf soy latte."

—Kyle D.

8. "My cousin passed away five years ago this March. After she passed away, we went through her jewelry. This is the broach I took."

ronniep4c0a8e89a

"I plan on wearing it as my 'something blue' if I ever get married."

—ronniep4c0a8e89a

9. "This is Huggies."

stephaniek27

"I got him just before my first surgery at the age of 3. He’s my earliest memory, and I refused to go anywhere without him until I was about 8. To this day, he has to be sitting in my room right where I can see him from my bed or my anxiety refuses to let me sleep. Clearly, he’s seen better days."

—stephaniek27

10. "My mom found this map at an antique store."

Angelica R

"I returned home from studying abroad in Northern Ireland just before the holidays my junior year of college and was really sad that the experience was over. That Christmas morning, my mom gave me this map of the UK that she had found at an antique store that fall while I was away. To this day, it’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. The town where I studied is labeled on the map, as is the town where my family and I traced back some of my ancestors — which is part of the reason I even chose to study abroad in the UK in the first place!"

—Angelica R.

11. "This green chair was my grandma’s (pictured) as a child, my mom’s, and mine."

michelleleed2

—michelleleed

12. "This is my first piece of mail after I moved out."

Emily C

"My first piece of mail that I received after moving to college was a card from my mom with a simple message inside, and I decided to hang it up in the nook under my lofted bed. It has traveled with me for four years to on-campus apartments, my first off-campus home, and finally when I moved out for good. It's always a nice reminder that she's always proud of me no matter how far apart we are."

—Emily C.

13. "This little guy is a stuffed Charmander I won at a fair when I was 6."

kirstenc44823256b

"For some reason, he became my security blanket and best friend. The little fella has helped me with anxiety and depression because, as a child, I would just vent to him about everything. Even now, as a 24-year-old, he stays on my bed and still comforts me. Something that probably only cost my parents a few bucks gave me a lifetime of joy!"

—kirstenc44823256b

14. "I've kept this castle all through adulthood, moving it from apartment to apartment. This may look childish, but it reminds me of that weekend and the strong bond I have with my dad."

Jana P

"When I was about 9 years old, my dad took me on a weekend father/daughter trip to a small New England town. We spent the weekend swimming, playing games I made up, and looking into adorable little shops. Before we left on Sunday, we were in a knickknack shop and came across a miniature purple castle, and I fell in love with it. It was expensive (or it seemed that way to me at the time — I don't think it really cost too much!), but my dad bought it for me anyway as a souvenir of our trip."

—Jana P.

15. "This is my grandfather's pocket watch."

Tara P

"I met my grandfather maybe once or twice as a kid, but I have a very little memory of him. This was his pocket watch that my dad recently found when cleaning out our home. I now keep it on my bookshelf as a reminder of him."

—Tara P.

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