What Remains When My Grandparents Are No Longer Here?

A small bead holds the fringe of a beloved blue stool and, with it, every game of board games, every holiday, every moment of a childhood shaped by two extraordinary people.

My grandmother and grandfather were always there for me. They played board games tirelessly with my sister and me, and we spent countless weekends together, as well as every holiday. There was always a cheerful atmosphere at their place, and whenever we visited, ordinary chores simply did not exist. It was always lovely to be with them.

A small memory bead made in honour of a beloved grandmother

So Many Beautiful Memories

I have an endless number of beautiful memories of my grandparents. We travelled together, and there was always Punica juice in colourful mustard glasses, and Kinder chocolate. Their flat never changed, and that constancy was something wonderful. They were wonderful.

The Blue Plush Stool

There was always that blue stool at my grandparents’ home. It had a secret compartment inside and it could spin. We would spin on it until we felt dizzy, and the fun never ended. We kept our favourite little treasures in the compartment inside. That stool became the symbol of time spent with Grandma and Grandpa.

The blue plush stool that stood at my grandparents’ home

Saying Goodbye

Sadly, my grandparents passed away far too soon. They never had the chance to watch their great-grandchildren grow up. When they died, it caught me completely off guard, and I was not ready. At the time I also lived very far from my family and was unable to take part in clearing out their home. My sister managed to rescue the stool, at least, and her children also spin many rounds on that not-particularly-beautiful but very special piece of furniture.

My Memories in a Bead

Fortunately, a friend told me that it was possible to preserve memories in jewellery. I found Moments and asked whether they could incorporate the fringe from that stool into a bead. The positive answer made me very happy. A few weeks later I received the finished memory piece and was overjoyed. My sister and her children have the stool, and I have a bead carrying the memory of a wonderful time and two extraordinary people. I wear this bead with me always. I am so grateful, and perhaps not everyone can fully understand why it matters so much to me, but for me personally, this piece of jewellery means the world.

The stool that inspired the memory bead

Thank you, dear Marie, for allowing us to be a part of your story.