Priceless Heirlooms

The little black book sat in the center of my mahogany dining room table, haunting me for the past two weeks. I had managed to avoid even looking at it, but as other people continued to ask questions that could only be answered in between the pages of the book's cover, I knew I couldn't avoid it any longer.

"Mama, why do you always carry that thing with you everywhere you go?" I asked my grandmother, Angela Bennett, as I saw her deep in thought, writing in her journal.

"Baby," she started just like she always did whenever she addressed me. "One day, you'll wake up and realize that the best kind of inheritance isn't money. That would eventually be gone one day, but memories, recipes, and revelations can be passed on for generations. That kind of legacy is priceless." Without ever breaking her focus, she continued writing whatever was flooding her mind at that moment.

That was the last conversation I had with my grandmother before it was her time to leave the Earth, and now the heirloom that she considered to be worth more than money was just collecting dust as I did my best to avoid the memories that it plagued me with.

I paced around the wood table as I fought the urge to pray for the strength to see what she had been hiding in there for the last two years of her life. Mama, I thought to myself as I finally centered my feet in front of the notebook. I wish you were here to make your infamous pineapple tarts so that we could enjoy your wisdom together over sweets and milk. Why does this have to be so hard?"

I steadied my hand to finally reach for it when the tears I had been holding on to finally reared their ugly heads. Despite her being almost ninety and our family having several warnings from her doctor that she was near the end of her life, nothing prepared me for the reality of how hard life would be without her and the advice she would give so freely.

Before I could sink further into the depression that was calling me, my phone rang, breaking my trance. It was my cousin, Tiffany. I rolled my eyes as I realized her mother would be calling me next. I know why my grandmother left her life savings of $20,000 to me, but it didn't make the burden of being the one to receive it any easier to deal with. I decided to put my phone on silent as I braced myself for whatever she thought would be helpful for me to hear at the moment I needed her most.

I took a moment to run my hand over the leather that had managed to hold itself up over so much of her writing throughout the years. Then, I flipped to the first page.

"Baby," she started on the very first page of the book. "I know that if you're reading this, that means you're hurting in a way that I can't fix anymore. I imagine that you're angry, sad, confused, and even alone, but I did this to let you know that no matter what happens in life, you will always have access to me in ways you never imagined.

I know the family is probably harassing you about the money that I left you. I hope you don't feel like it was a burden." I laughed at the thought of how even in death, she could still read my thoughts. "But I chose you to hold on to the little I had because you were the only one who never expected a thing from me when I was alive.

The money is yours to do with it what you want. Knowing you, you'll probably just split it with the rest of the family, so they'll finally leave you alone. Whatever you do, I hope you'll do it over a pineapple pastry and some warm milk. I know it's not the same as when I would make it for you, but I hope this recipe is close enough to the ones you loved to enjoy with me."

I flipped the page, and on there, I found everything I needed. At that moment, I finally understood what she meant about the treasures that were truly priceless. Those two pages meant more to me than all of the silver and gold she could have left me with.