I have a few possessions that belonged to my parents. Items that hold special memories for me are displayed in my home. My mom’s glass bell collection and my dad’s acoustic guitar are all in my living room. People that come to our home sometimes notice them, and I like to mention that they belonged to my parents. There is one item that I don’t display, it’s too precious and for me acts as a pathway to the past. A touchstone that when I concentrate can take me to a time when my parents were alive. My Dad’s camera, a 1978 Mamiya NC-1000 35 MM camera, for me is a talisman of my parents, and my history. My Mom died from brain cancer when I was sixteen years old. My Dad died, unexpectedly, when I was thirty-five. The loss of my parents are the two experiences that have had the biggest impact on who I am. They were both good, honest and loving human beings that lived their lives with grace and courage. I know that I was lucky to have had the parents I did, even f