Material goods do have meaning. Gone are the people who possessed them, yet the items still exist. Looking at my grandma's doll and seeing the 1924 copyright makes me wonder about the story behind it. Her biological mother Hannah Swanson (Mahoney) must have bought it for her and it made the trek on the train with her all the way from Minot, ND to Rockford, IL. It may have been one of the few things her poor parents could give her before she went with her sister to live with her adoptive mother Anna Sunstedt (Swanson) who was also her aunt. The little doll is very worn but looks like it had a lot of love. There is a certain sadness to this doll and there is definitely a story behind it. Hannah wrote several letters to Anna about what her daughters liked and asking how they were doing. It has a lot of meaning to me just like the simple wedding ring my grandpa gave her which I have now. This ring reminds of a time when people lived simply and the women did not have to show off a big rock. I also love my grandpa's watch. I even noticed it in a picture of him and I. Worn out but means a lot to me.
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