While gathering items for the first day of class, I searched my keepsake box to see which items I had set aside some years ago for safekeeping, and I came across this metal cross. It wasn’t kept in a jewelry box, or a plastic bag, but was just laying there beside a small rosary case. In more recent years, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve taken more care in storing valuables, especially jewelry, so I’m almost certain that I placed this cross in my keepsake box some years ago when I was in elementary school. Given that it was next to a set of rosaries given to me by my grandfather and most of the other items in the box were mementos of him, I figured this was probably from him, too.
Oddly enough, I know origin of the rosaries that were next to the cross – they were a gift from my grandfather when he returned from Italy (specifically the Vatican) when I was about four. The cross, however, was more of a mystery. There is tiny print on both sides of the cross, but it is quite minuscule. So I broke out my magnifying glass and in a tiny corner of the cross, on the side with the “M” for Mary, the word “ITALY” was inscribed. The other writing (on what I perceive as the front of the cross since it has an image of Mary on it) pertained to Mary and her immaculate conception – no further information on the origin of the cross.
With the information inscribed on it, the cross was probably made in Italy, and I thought it was probably purchased there too, considering I stored it with other items from Italy. I asked my mother if she remembered any more of the history of the cross, and she confirmed my suspicions of my grandfather bringing it back for me from his trip to Italy, which we devised took place after we moved out of his house in 1998 and before his death in 2000.
I returned to the rosaries for some more clues, noticing that the rosary case had an image of a pope on it. With Google confirmation, it was an image of Pope John Paul II who was pope from 1978 until 2005. Those dates were not helpful, but another image I found online, quite similar to the one on the rosaries, was taken before 1998, so it that was a dead end, too. In conclusion, the cross was purchased in the Vatican between 1998 and 2000, by my grandfather. The rest is still a mystery.
The Materials of History, Thought, and Art 
I appreciate the fact that you kept with your object even though you weren’t finding a lot of information. I was experiencing the same sort of thing with my object and it was frustrating. I think knowing when and where your grandfather got the rosary is cool in itself. It makes me wonder, why was he at the Vatican? Did he collect rosaries? What did they mean to him? I think it’s great that you have multiple momentos of your grandfather, do you see any connections between those and this one?
It is so interesting when we get the chance to re-think or re-look at our stuff. With time, distance, perspective, or space you can look at an object from a certain moment in your life so incredibly differently. You know your grandfather went to the Vatican when you were 4 and you recollect upon that now. I wonder if it has different meaning. For me as the reader I get a sense of how spiritual your grandfather may have been and how important his faith might have been to him. I wonder if these values have shaped your own because they have been around you and with you since you were 4 — or even younger. Thank you for sharing! I always enjoy listening to your thoughts and reading your words.