My Grandfather and Grandmother, Edmund and Georgia Von Fumetti continued a German tradition that had been followed in the Von Fumetti family for generations. I was given a silver cup when I was born, engraved with my name and birthdate, and each of my sisters and brother were given one as they were born. There were slight variations among them all and none of the cups was just like the other.
The little silver cups were not saved for special occasions. We could use them anytime we wanted to, and the wear and dents show that they were frequently used and enjoyed. They often did get pulled out for events such as family birthday celebrations. The photo below is from my sister's birthday in 1968 and all six cups are on the table.
We loved the little treasured cups. It made them more special that they had our names and birthdates engraved on them. I would take my finger and follow the letters of script on the cup long before I could read my name. But, I knew it was my name and took great pride in having something that was mine only. Almost everything we had as children, we were expected to share under most circumstances. These little cups were one of few exceptions.
Of the cups given to the six of us, five still exist. Lynn's was lost over the years.
This is my cup. Full of dents and a bit wobbly on the bottom now as the soft metal has been used, dropped, and bumped many times over 65 years.
© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the copyright owner and publisher.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I welcome your comments and thoughts on Pieces of the Past.