Just a random poll. . . . .
Do you have any feelings regarding the use/wear/possession of items that you know belonged to a person now deceased?
Are you conforted or spooked by it?
Is it “OK I guess” or “it helps me remember”
How about personal or household items such as furniture, albums, walking canes, berry buckets?
Does it make any difference if you knew them personally?
Or if you cared for or hated them?
What wouldn’t you recycle for love or money?
I don’t have a problem with it. In fact, I have a collection of mourning rings, made with the braided hair of the deceased, which I think is just the coolest thing.
Comforted or spooked? Neither.
Aside from the rings, I also have some walking canes that are about a hundred years old. I like to try and imagine the man who had it, picture him walking to the bank or where ever. I have lots of old stuff, some over 300 years, and again, I like to try to imagine the person who had it when it was new, what that person was like, their everyday life etc…
Makes no difference whether I knew the person or not. I have my great grandmothers sewing machine, but I don’t get any spooky vibes from it, if that’s what you mean.
For some reason, my grandmother seems to think that I can fit in my grandfathers clothes. Not only are they so out of style that not even I would wear them (:eek:), but they are all size 32 (pants) and smaller when I haven’t seen the lighter side of 32 in ten years. Go figure. :rolleyes:
I have the t-shirt that my best friend was wearing when she died. I’d have taken her sweatshirt too, but there was too much blood on it. I have her Adidas jacket and a keychain, too. I’m perfectly fine with that.
It doesn’t bug me at all. In fact, my “job interview suit” comes from my best friend’s dead aunt. I love it.
I guess I am desenstized from wearing so many thrift store clothes. I always kind of wonder who had my clothes last. It adds a fun bit of mystery to such an ordianary thing.
I have no problem with owning stuff that belonged to dead people. I grew up in a house that once belonged to someone who later died.
I won’t wear something that belonged to somebody who is dead, though. But then, I won’t wear something that belonged to somebody who is alive. I don’t wear used clothes.
No prob. I wear a couple of my dad’s old suits, and my sister wears a couple of my mom’s old coats. No different than our wearing heirloom jewelry. (I’d like to get my hands on the theif who broke intomy place and stole my great-grandfather’s studs.
I have a problem with it. The clothes of dead people you know have memories, and smells. I’d rather not have those diluted. My mother died: we gave her clothes to charity. She would have liked that, and it didn’t seem right to my sister to wear my mum’s clothes.
Does jewelry count? I frequently wear my great-great grandmother’s engagement ring (it’s beautiful - hand crafted rose gold with an opal) and another opal ring that belogned to my grandmother. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest.
I have loads of costume jewelry from my grandmother, all left to me when she died, but the rings are the items I wear most often.
Just looking around my living room, I have (and use) a lot of stuff that belonged to (now) dead relatives. I don’t think about it often, and when I do think about it, I think it’s nice. I grew up this way, too. Everyone in my family seems to like collecting a lot of stuff, so we eat off maternal great great grandmother’s china while sitting on paternal great grandmother’s dining room set. This chain will probably continue until our family produces a genetic sport, who will jump up some day and shout “for the love of God, get some new stuff!”
Wow, I’m not sure if I’d want to wear the clothes that they were wearing when they died.
When my grandma died, my mom insisted that all of the grandkids take things they would use or need. She said Grandma would’ve liked it, and everything else was just going to charity. I got some excellent knives and some pyrex dishes. I always think of her when I use them, and I like that.
When I go to estate sales, I feel sort of creeped out by the clothing, but I’m not sure why.
I wear my cousins sweatshirt all the time.
He was six foot something, and I’m 5’4" and so for me it is nice, comfy and makes me feel close to him again.
I don’t mind too much, but I draw the line at skin.
Hey, they’re dead. What are they going to do, come and beat you up?
First of all, being that these things were not actually worn by a DEAD person, but a person who has since deceased since wearing them, why would it be creepy? And does it make a difference if you KNOW the original owner, or don’t know them? (Example, a family heirloom vs. something bought at a yard sale.) Secondly, taking this a step further, what about posessions – does wearing jewelry, using a keychain, etc. that originally belonged to someone who is now dead provide the same creepy sensation?
Personally, I enjoy wearing and using those items that belonged to grandparents etc. It makes me feel closer to them, it’s a bit like having a piece of them with me.
I have my aunt’s pearl ring that she gave to me when I was a baby. My mother also has my grandfather’s dog tags from WWII.
If they are not out of date and fit, what is the problem.
When I was a little girl I liked rummaging through Grandma’s jewellery box and trying on brooches and necklaces. When she died, my Dad gave me the box and everything in it. Grandma’s costume jewellery reminds me of Grandma.
Our bedroom furniture came from the grandmother of a dear friend. It is great furniture, and I like having it because it reminds me that family doesn’t have to be determined by genes.
When my grandfather’s aunt passed away, her son gave my mother and I some of her serving dishes. Since her greatest delight was always in feeding us a big family meal, it seemed very appropriate. Using her dish reminds me of her, and brings a little extra love to the meal.