Heirloom Earrings

For most families, heirlooms are items that are passed down from generation to generation. Often these items either hold some sentimental value or are expensive, and that’s why they’re passed down. For my family, however, we have only ever passed down one item, and it always goes to the first born daughter on her 18th birthday. If the first born daughter doesn’t have a daughter of her own, the item then goes to her sibling’s first born daughter. Apparently, it is vital that it happens this way.

And the reason for this, you may be asking? Because as legend has it, the original owner of this item, my very distant relative, was considered to be a witch by her community. She experienced the same fate that we’ve all heard about in history books, and her earrings, moth earrings to be exact, are the last thing we have left of her. 

Now you know how these things go. Stories get passed down through generations just like family heirlooms do, and so I have no idea if any of it is fact or if it’s all fiction. I’m leaning towards the whole thing being fiction seeing as I don’t believe in the supernatural, but the fact that my family is so adamant about it does make me question whether or not it could be true. I guess I’ll find out when I collect them and wear the earrings in Melbourne next week. The earrings are currently on their way to me for my birthday which is one weeks time. It’s an expectation in my family that I wear these earrings every day from 12:00am on my birthday until I have a daughter who turns eighteen in however many years that is. If you can’t tell, my family takes this very seriously. They have ever since my great-whatever-she-is passed away. I wonder if I’ll start feeling different once I see the earrings for myself.