Sentimental value can be inherent, acquired, or thrust upon an object.
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William Shakespeare, the mysterious “Bard of Avon”, said that some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.
Things of sentimental value I own (although ownership is not exactly the relationship I have with some of these objects) can be cleanly organised into the above three categories. So, there are things that truly have sentimental value, things that have achieved sentimental value, and things upon which sentimental value has been thrust.
Let me begin with the first I own (such a significant verb, own, in a world where what one possesses—or doesn’t—often defines one’s worth) and go on to the others.
Real Sentimental Value
The real things of sentimental value for me are the usual suspects.
These things are special because they either belonged to loved ones who passed away a long time ago, because they are associated with my childhood, or simply because they are old and serve as witnesses to history for me.
- My sister’s fuchsia pink diary of poems. She died by suicide at age 23, nearly 23 years ago.
- My father’s Montblanc pens, his beautiful red Kantha-embroidered top sheet. He passed away of a brain hemorrhage three months after my sister’s suicide.
- My grandfather’s towel, a blue, aquatic life-themed towel. He passed away peacefully at age 95 in 2015.
- A yellow cotton dress whose fabric was given to me by a very good friend. She died in a freak accident a day after Christmas in 2020.
- My mother’s wedding sari, a crimson Benarasi adorned with gold buti motifs.
- My doll, dating back to 1992, and teddy bears and a small collection of other soft toys collected over the years.
Acquired Sentimental Value
These are intangible things I don’t claim physical ownership of. These are songs, movies and books I don’t always think of but nevertheless value greatly. They’ve created a home in my head and are special primarily because of their nostalgic value.
- Songs coloured with the zeitgeist of childhood (songs and films from the year 1992 are most special because my memories are vivid from that point in time).
- Movies drenched with memories of times that will never return. Some of the kitschy Hindi ones are particularly close to my heart.
- Books by Enid Blyton such as The Naughtiest Girl series, The Wishing-Chair series, and Thirteen O’Clock and Other Stories among others, are instantly reminiscent of those days when one didn’t have a care in the world. The Sidney Sheldon novels, likewise, can take me back to my early teens in the blink of an eye.
Bestowed Sentimental Value
These are objects I have purchased; they don’t have sentimental value in their own right. But because they evoke memories of my childhood, I have accorded them their sentimental value.
- Reprinted versions of Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha comics that I read in my childhood.
- Vintage, second-hand Chandamama magazines that a very intellectual and witty seller of vintage books from Mysore helps me procure.
I think I need to work on my attachment to physical objects. There’s no doubt I am deeply, profoundly fond of all sorts of things because of their associations with people or times I cherish.
For now, though, I am content holding on to them and protecting them with my life.
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