In the first person

 What will be the artifacts of your life ? We can choose, or at the very least, influence what those objects may be. The final selection however is not ours to make. We all hope it to be the things we cherished the most. That is simply because we want those things to continue living. By being admired and retained their life does continue. I have things like that from my parents and grandparents. I also have objects that belonged to other ancestors of mine. Each one that I can assign to a specific individual holds special value to me. They are not always the things the person would have thought of. They may have been small and insignificant to them. It was their passing that gave those objects special value.
 I began thinking about this as I rediscovered some artifacts I have in the attic. These items came from a special Aunt and Uncle. Growing up they treated myself and my siblings with special regard. You see this aunt was unable to have children of her own. As a result after their passing the things they held dear were divided among a fortunate few. Yes, they had assigned a person to whom they wished to bequeath their property. It is the artifacts however that concern me. I was fortunate that I was sent some of those things that belonged to my aunt and uncle. I hold them dear in my heart, the aunt and uncle, and am grateful for the items I received. They are tucked safely away. I am thinking about what to do with those items later on. Yes, they are special to me but no one else in my immediate family knew those people. Not my wife or my children. And so I wonder to whom would I pass these artifacts ? Are they destined to wind up a curiosity ? Isn't that what we all wish to avoid ? No one wants to wind up an unknown, a mystery. I can certainly assign a name and date to those objects but the value ? How do you explain the significance ? Even I do not know the story behind these things. All I know is that they either belonged to them, or they were created by them. That my aunt did needlework I have first hand knowledge of. It is those things I cherish the most. I know she held those items in her hands and put her effort into their creation. That is the value there. The other things, those that were the property of my uncle hold value only because they were his. When I pass will all the value pass as well ? You would have to say so. Perhaps I should introduce those items to my children and grandchildren. Familiarity does add significance.
 I didn't mean for this to sound morbid. I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. It was just something that came to mind as I stumbled across those things. I realize I only have a very small portion of their things. Still I was struck with the thought that these few objects are the artifacts of their life as it pertains to me. They didn't get to choose those things however and it was left to another. The value in those objects is not diminished by that action. The question is, should you just leave your things unassigned, to be claimed by whomever ? Or would it be wiser to go around and tell what object should go to who. Families are notorious for fighting about that stuff.
 My feeling is that I will not assign any particular object of mine to anyone. I do not own anything of great monetary value and so don't have to worry about that. My thinking is the objects " claimed " by my passing will be " claimed " by the one who cherishes the memory, more than the object. It is that I am hopeful of. That is because memories can live forever, passed from generation to generation. The tradition of storytelling. Memories are always told in the first person !