The Things We Keep
Everyday objects offer a glimpse into the lives of those who came before us
It is common in this Caire home to open an unassuming box, or pick up what looks to be a stack of old mail, and find treasures from the past.
An assortment of paper items is nonchalantly laying in a pile on the coffee table - a few items of interest I’ve set there as I’ve perused various boxes and piles of items in the house. As I enjoy my Saturday morning coffee in the den, I look back through them.
A couple of non-written birthday greeting cards, likely to have handy for when they may be needed.
A newsletter from Rome dates Christmas 1964, sent to Mrs. Sydney Caire Sr. (Annette, my great-grandmother) from Sacred Heart Academy on St Charles Avenue in New Orleans. (Many a Caire girl attended “The Academy”!)
Collection of items
A small catalog of “Barefoot Freedom” shoes from “Cantilever Shoe Store” in New Orleans.
A worn and obviously aged paper with Latin writing that upon research and translation includes a relic of St Jean-Marie Vianney, a French-Catholic priest dated 1930.
Memories past
I imagine family in the past, likely Annette (great-grandmother) and Etiennette (2nd-great aunt) in this case, kept these items for reasons both practical and sentimental. The Cantilever Shoes and the Greeting Cards were likely available for purchase in the Caire Stores. The saintly relic and letter sent to Annette would have been personally meaningful. Today, these simple objects offer me a small window into their everyday lives, reminding me that even the most ordinary things can become treasured connections to the past.
TREASURES AND TALES
is our ongoing series highlighting the small things that carry big stories.
Watch for more to come in the “TREASURES AND TALES” series
If you have a "Treasure or Tale" related to the Caire Stores or Family or Edgard that you'd be interested to share, please submit a note here: Contact | Caire Stores
Keep up to date with ongoing renovations to the Caire Stores and learn how you can help by visiting www.cairestores.com and subscribing to our newsletter, as well as following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Comments