More unpacking. Why would I keep these two blue glass vases that could not pass a collector's test? Years ago I said to my mother who kept them in a relatively prominent place as long as I could remember, "why are you keeping these simple vases?" And she responded, "Our neighbor, Mrs. Cross, bought them for me as a gift when you were born." That is reason enough for me to keep them and, of course, we know how old they are.
The children of many cultures wear good luck charms of different kinds. We wore medals of the Virgin Mary, or of St. Christopher or a crucifix hanging around our necks. These vases, of course, are not true charms. But knickknacks are said, too, to have a place in the culture of a household. I am not sure what these vases might have meant to my mother. I remember that they were in a window and maybe they were there to help me find my way home!
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