Sebastian Miniatures

Sebastian Miniatures

Store Memories in a Cedar Lined Chest

A beautiful chest is the most memorable gift that you can ever give to a person There is something special about giving or receiving these chests and not only will you be able to give them something useful, you'll also be able to give them a gift that is traditionally associated with good feelings and warmth. These grand boxes have long served as symbols of status, history, and love.

A sturdy wooden chest, like one made of cedar, has always served the function of keeping valuable articles safe. Throughout history, migrating families have always brought these trunks across borders and oceans as they settled in new lands. The requisite locks kept their things safe, and the drawers or miniature boxes held smaller precious items like silverware or jewelry.

In later centuries, and predominantly in American families, wooden chest becomes the gift for a marriage. The girl will receive the wooden chest from her mother and all the things she needed for maried will be put into the chest. Back then, marriage is the only path the American women, thus the chest resemble as part of their ritual-filled journey to a proper marriage. Eventually, this will be emptied after the marriage, and the chest will be emptied. Later, the chest will be passed down to the daughter. This ritual will go on and on like a cycle, in the blessing for daughter to have a good marriage.

Most of the chests are not longer made out of cherry or oak any more. Majority are made out of cedar because cedar has the ability to repel moth. Then, they are usually decorated with carvings, paint, or gilding to represent a family's culture and origins. As mentioned, they were also usually outfitted with a drawer or too, or a miniature box that can go inside the compartment.

After World War 2, all the former ammunition-box manufacturers became the largest producers for cedar chests. They cited it as the a good item to store the memories of the dead ones in fighting for the country. This phenomenon concertized the graceful box's status as a piece of true Americana.

Despite the radical differences in circumstances, the cedar chest remains an indispensible component of the American family's home. Nowadays these chests are used primarily as classic home decorating pieces. A chest adds an air of warmth and personality to a bedroom or living room. Usually regarded as antiques, they lend a lived-in feel to the space.

But more than using them as pretty displays, it might be a wonderful project to revive the significance of these treasure boxes, and gain new ways to preserve family memories and history. Aside from that, the cedar chest are being used to store things that meant to be passed down to future generation. When Heirlooms or mementos that are meant to pass down from generation to generation have no better place to be kept than the cedar chests. If you do notice, as the chest been passed down, the value of the chest will increase, possibly a rival to the Egyptian's treasure boxes.

More than just using for storage or memory purpose, the chest can serve as foot rest in front of the bed. There are times a closed flat-lid chest are being used as small coffee table in the lounge or living hall. As you can see, how you can use the chest can be limitless.

The bigger chest can be used to store those rarely-used clothes or linens in it. For instances, those seasonal clothes like sweaters can be stored inside until winter comes around. It can be also good storage place for the children to have their toys stored inside. It can serve as a memory for them when they grow up.

Speaking of the memory box we mentioned earlier on, baby clothes, first items like baseball gloves, dolls, or letters are things which can be regarded for that purpose. Once the children grow up, they will be able to relive those moments as they open the chest. It can serve to remind your children about their happy childhood, and eventually, this can be passed down to your grandchildren.

Memories and keepsakes are not the only things that a hope chest can hold. It can contain family history or lessons that the elder has passed down to the younger generations. The first knitting ever done, secret family recipes can be stored inside wooden chest without ease Those usually would be significant things that represents one's family trade or identity.

Children have always enjoyed "discovering" treasures, in whatever form it comes in. When a child is presented with a hope chest, he or she will certainly feel that spark of amazement and wonder when the lid is opened and its contents are revealed to him or her for the first time. A child will be honored to be the next keeper of a chest that he or she remembers from the past. When a parent or elder relative shows great consideration for taking care of preserving memories and heirlooms, the younger ones are definite to follow suit.

The modern world is a fast-paced one. Technology and advancements in science have literally put everything on steroids. Everything becomes cheaper, faster and easier. Food can be cooked in seconds, cities can be reached in minutes, messages and news can be received right as they are being sent or happening. The downside is that, more people are developing less appreciation towards the old memories and family traditions.

The trend now is to rediscover history, to return to roots in order to be certain of identity and to gain a sense of personal pride. Wooden chests, and the ritual of keeping things inside them, have a strong presence through the line of tradition.

The cedar chest is the perfect chest to have all the family valuables to stored it. This could be a good constant reminder of the pasts for the younger generation. It is up to the owner of the chest to define the value of the chest. If the owner just simply utilize it to store some normal items, then it will not be as valuable as a chest contain a family histories and secrets.

Hope is what motivated countless of people to stay alive and should not be lost in this modern society nowadays. Even so, hope should be passed down to the younger generation, reminding them not to give up in life. The treasures that are put into a hope chest are meant to preserve important memories, be inherited by future generations, outlast lifetimes, and create legacies.

About the Author

Sebastian Watkins is a freelance writer.

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