My family’s history and story is of great concern to, so much so that I intend to reconstruct the family tree as far as I can get in order to know who came before me.
In this same sense, I put a lot a value into objects that have reached through the generations. I have china, some furniture, personal items, photos and photo albums, etc.
Everything tells a piece of a story I wasn’t able to fully live through and instead just brushed me growing up.
It gives me a sense of belonging.
I have an even better story. The biggest Dutch sea pirate was an ancestor of me. Back then it was an honorable profession. The entire area of the Zaanstreek was his. Whenever you go to the open air museum Zaanse Schans, all the windmills and store fronts were owned by him. When Willem van Orange (William of Orange) wanted to unite the 7 provinces, creating the first nation of The Netherlands, my ancestor was the main funder of the project, his signature is on the decleration of the seven provinces.
Monet stayed at that family. Nothing of their wealth has reached me sadly, only the story and the brosh. Even the painting was illegally donated by someone’s partner to the museum due to the high insurance costs. But at least everyone can see it now and it is well maintained. And I have a good story to tell. I wouldn’t have minded it if I had inherited a house or something though.
The sea pirate was Engel van de Stad by the way. Not much is known about him online, as he never worked for the state so he never was named a naval hero or something like Michiel de Ruyter for example. Yet the fortune he gained by raiding British, French and Spanish fleets helped create the country I call home. We have only found documentation in a museum and in archives. I bet it would make amazing YouTube videos as soon as his story comes out.
Some tale!