If I can pass on one lesson...

Sep 30, 2008 20:57

Janric and I finally got around to opening up our final wedding gift tonight. I had received it Friday, from one of my mom's friends. Between horrid work hours and running around for other social engagements, Janric and I hadn't gotten around to opening it up until tonight.

It was a beautiful set of crystal stemware. I thought it old fashioned a bit, but then I opened the card. It had been my mom's friend's mother's. It had belonged to the woman who had made my first communion gown for me. She passed away years ago after fighting diabetes for a long time. She was a very sweet lady, and her daughter, my mom's friend, watched me grow up. I invited she and her husband to my wedding, at my mom's request. Not unreasonable since I had only three family members attending. It was wonderful to have a couple of my mom's friends there.

But such a gift! I think part of it is that my mom's friend never had kids, but it's still quite a gift to give to the daughter of a friend.

It was packed carefully, each piece wrapped in newspaper, put in a special dividing box for stemware.

There were three broken pieces, each felt like my heart was breaking. I can't tell her that shipping it to me was a mistake. I feel like crying as it is.

The same thing happened when my mom sent me my grandmother's tea set - the set that my grandfather brought back from Japan when he got home from serving in World War II. She had wrapped each piece in bubble wrap, the whole thing carefully packed in a box.

So this is my advice to all of you - do NOT ship breakable items if they are priceless family heirlooms. They have to be delivered by hand. You care about what is in the box, the delivery man does not. No matter how carefully you pack that item, it's going to break and it cannot be replaced.
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