Article December 16, 1991 ISSUE

My reserve fund

Who would have guessed that the humblest gift would become the most valuable?

Alessandra P. Colombini

When I was a child, there was a religious tradition that when children reached a certain age—around seven or eight—they would have a ceremony that was considered an important occasion. Relatives and close friends would be invited to a small party, and all would give a gift in gold: a piece of jewelry such as a ring, a pin, earrings.

In the poor European country where I lived before I moved to Brazil, these gifts had a very practical purpose. They were meant to be like a reserve fund for a child. If he or she were ever to need money for survival or for an emergency, some piece of jewelry could be sold.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Article
What is real?
December 16, 1991
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit