I was six years old and in first grade when it happened. In the year of 1996, my great- grandmother and grandfather passed away. They lived on a farm in Michigan. The farm has been owned by our family for over one hundred and fifty years. When I was a little boy, I used to go and visit them at the farm. On our visit to Michigan for my great-grandparents' funeral, I thought of it as being a joyful occasion. Now, when I reflect on it, I see it as a sad and emotional occasion. I was very young at the time and did not quite understand the loss of my great-grandparents. What I will never forget is the mourning of my relatives.

My mother received a white porcelain miniature statue of the Virgin Mary from her grandmother, my great-grandmother. My great-grandma obtained the statue when she was a little girl back in the late 1920s. My mother held on to it for a year or two and then gave the statue of the Virgin Mary to me. I have taken good care of it for four years now and plan to keep it to the day that I pass it on to one of my children. It is truly the most valuable possession I own because it holds a special place in my heart.