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Creating a Tradition

By //  by Candace Sampson

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My parents come from humble beginnings. Both children of coal miners on Canada’s Atlantic coast, they grew up with very few material possessions and they carried nothing forward into their adult lives from their family’s past. There was simply nothing to pass forward, except photos and stories. It certainly hasn’t detracted from my life that I don’t have a tangible item to connect me to relatives, but I always loved the notion of the girl wearing her mom’s wedding dress or a boy proposing with his grandmother’s ring. I felt it created a rich family history, connecting generations with a simple lovingly cared for item.

And this is where I get misty. Good grief I’m a sap.

My parents have ensured that my children will have that connection to their past. On my oldest daughter’s first birthday, they passed on to her my childhood table and chair set, lovingly restored by my father. When my youngest turned one, they gave her the wood cradle that I used to rock my dolls in. Both toys have been played with for years now by my girls. With each passing day though, it becomes more apparent to me that soon I will have to tuck them away for their children. I am beginning to look for those two special items of theirs that I will add to it.

When one of my daughters get sick, it is my teddy bear that comforts them. Stored in a cedar chest, with a punched in nose, and matted down fur, it only comes out in emergencies. It is comforting to them because they know it used to comfort me when I was sick.

Finally, there’s the dress.

This Little House on the Prairie-esque style communion dress. For a while after I wore this dress on my First Communion, I played in it as a princess costume. Apparently, I was a very tidy child, as it never got ripped or stained. At some point, my mother thought she’d tuck it away….just in case. And then two of those “just in case’s” came along.

Yup, I’m sitting here with wet eyes and a drippy nose right now. I just love seeing these pictures together and for that I am eternally grateful to my parents for creating a these memories. Items that get passed down through generations, can take, well generations. It’s not an instant gratification kind of thing, but it’s so worth it in the end.

This dress has now been tucked away, alongside two other white gowns. The girl’s baptism gown and my wedding gown. They may decide to use them, they may not, but it’s there for them…..just in case.

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Filed Under: June Cleaver Tagged With: Candace Derickx, daughters, First communion dress, Food & Drink, gowns, hand me downs, Life in Pleasantville, traditions

About Candace Sampson

Candace is founder and editor-in-chief of Life in Pleasantville which isn't half as fancy as it sounds. You can find her sharing travel stories on What She Said Radio and on CTV Ottawa Morning Live.

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Comments

  1. Kelly

    May 2, 2012 at 4:09 pm

    How sweet! I didn’t keep anything from my own childhood and was regretful that my mother didn’t choose to either. I have kept a few things for my kids to have when they are older – I hope they appreciate it! And while styles have changed and my own wedding dress may not be to my daughter’s taste, I have it packed away too 🙂 Just in case!

  2. Judy Sampson

    May 2, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    Beautiful story.it is amazing to see the dress on all three girls.hopefully we get to see another girl or two in it when Morgan and Ava get married and start their family.

    Nanny & Boppy XXX000

  3. Kat

    May 2, 2012 at 5:44 pm

    Such great treasures to pass on! I also have very little from my grandparents, but have a teddy bear and several other small things from my parents. We rarely think of this until we have children of our own and look for something to link them to their heritage.

  4. Susan Ovington

    May 2, 2012 at 6:12 pm

    I have that exact same First Communion dress from 1976. I love looking at the pictures of me in as well. Those were simpler times. I have many keepsakes labeled and put away with the story included. My two boys hopefully will appreciate those moments of history. 
    Great story!

  5. Erika Wilson

    May 2, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    I remember that picture of the firt little girl to wear that dress. With Love to All

  6. Sharon

    May 3, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    Dude. You know that my mom’s dad was a coal miner on the east coast and my dad’s dad worked in the coke ovens on the east coast as well. We’re probably related.

  7. Candace

    May 3, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    I think we had this conversation before. With wine. Maybe we should try it without. 🙂 We could be totally related….which would explain a lot frankly.

  8. Candace

    May 4, 2012 at 12:10 am

    How cool is that?! I love it. Do you have a picture of you in it? I’d love to see it. 🙂

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