I inherited our family’s china after my parents’ deaths. The Haviland Autumn Leaf design features fall leaves and gold trim. We own over a dozen place settings along with assorted serving dishes.

Both my paternal great-grandmother and grandmother collected the Autumn Leaf pattern. I remember them every time we set the table with the fine china. Our granddaughter is the sixth generation in our family to use the dishes.

Bridal registries once featured fine china, sterling silverware, and crystal glassware; but Millennials and Gen Z eschew these traditional gifts. They buy tableware marked Dishwasher Safe. Agents liquidate family heirlooms for pennies on the dollar at estate sales.

My parents stored the china and crystal in large cabinets where it remained safely undisturbed. We have chosen to use it regularly at family gatherings, trading occasional chips for lifelong memories.

Someday our children will inherit these legacies passed down through the generations. I pray that their birthright will remind them of family dinners blessed by laughter and love.

Amen.