“So, Mama,” my daughter asked from the pantry, her voice barely audible over the rustling of snacks, “what would you save in a fire?” Before I could give my usual answer—“My priority would be getting everyone out safely”—she interrupted my thoughts with a question that felt a little deeper. “I mean, if we’re all out, is there anything you’d want to save?”
I paused, letting the question settle in the air. It wasn’t about the things you might expect—it was about the little treasures, the ones that hold memories and the ones that feel like pieces of our story. My daughter had often overheard me ask the same question as I sat with others, listening to the stories behind their family heirlooms. But now, it was my turn to answer, which gave me pause. I’d always been the one asking, never the one questioned.
It didn’t take long for the answer to come to mind. The commissioned portrait of my Mimi’s house. That is what I would save. More than just a painting, it is a piece of my story, an heirloom I could never let go of. It hangs above my desk, quietly holding its place in the tapestry of my life.
