Heritage Box

My children think I have treasures hidden in my bedroom closet. And indeed I do! Carefully tucked away in an aged wicker picnic basket are an assortment of precious items. On occasion, the basket is opened and the children and I once more enjoy the riches it contains.

They delight in playing with my father’s little gray wooden horse. To unloving eyes, it would appear worn; but to my little ones, it’s as treasured as the day Grandpa Jensen played with it. They don’t notice that there are only a few strands of the once-regal tail left, but instead envision the grandpa they never met playing with his beloved toy. They finger the smooth wooden pencil box on which grandpa carefully lettered his name; they know their grandpa carried it to school every day as a child.

My daughters especially like the black-haired doll, hand-made by their great-grandmother. She, too, returned to Heavenly Father before they were born, but they can feel a certain kinship with the woman who made the delicate doll in the pink satin dress.

Included in the box is a master sheet which describes each article in detail. With our treasures we share history and heritage. And I find great joy in “turning the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (See D&C 2:2.) Pamela Jensen Saley, Salt Lake City, Utah

Illustrated by Richard D. Hull