A Chest of Hopes: Reflecting Joy
The hope chests of today may not out of necessity be filled with the same items they used to hold in the 18th century, but they are special none the less. Our own daughter’s hope chest is filled with items that give her hope for her future. In truth, the chest that she is currently keeping her precious belongings in isn’t even her “real” hope chest. That one is still at her grandmother’s house waiting for us to find a way to get it back here!
Victoria hasn’t spent countless hours sewing tea towels and knitting potholders (even though she is a fine enough seamstress that she could) but those items are in there, along with her favorite pattern of Taylor, Smith, and Taylor Blue Lace china teacups and saucers that she has purchased with her own savings. Her favorite books, two cut crystal lamps given to her by a neighbor, her German doll collection, lovely linens and handkerchiefs, and more will be found within the depths of the chest as well.
From a very young age, Victoria showed that she had a sense of style and fashion. We also quickly learned that she is a collector. Thankfully she learned early on that not everything in the world will fit in an area no larger than 5 square feet! She began, on her own, to look for items with a purpose in regards to their colors and style. She loves turquoise and silver (thus her choice in the TS&T china pattern) and many of the items in her chest reflect those colors. She loves simple elegance and beauty but she loves cowgirl chic, 
too. It has been a challenge for her to choose wisely and be a good steward of her money when it comes to filling up her hope chest.
Many of the items reflect not just her hope of marriage but her hope of children. The baby quilt that her great-grandmother Victoria sewed is part of her hope chest. It is an article of family heritage that warmed our Victoria for many nights and will prayerfully warm her children as well. Several of her own dresses and shoes have been carefully wrapped and placed in the chest. I look forward to the day my grandchild(ren) will wear the clothes we bought for their mother and uncles.
The newest item that Victoria placed in her temporary hope chest this week is a cameo that belonged to one of her other great-grandmothers. It was her gift this year and was lovingly placed in the chest by the small jewelry box that her daddy sent her while on one of his deployments.
True, not every item in our modern day hope chest is reminiscent of days gone by, but every article contained within its walls still carries the joy of hope that filled its early counterparts.
What hope does your chest carry?
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Post topics: children, family, fashion, grandparents, herilooms, history, homekeeping, homemade, hope, Hope Chest, marriage
Thank you so much for posting this, it has inspired me to do my own hope chest- I am grateful for what you have mentioned that is in your daughter’s hope chest for the most part I have been utterly clueless on what to put in a hope chest. I am so thankful for you and others that are doing this. :) Blessings- Megan
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Thank you for the ideas. My dad and I recently built a hope chest out of an old toy box, but I really didn’t know what to put in it! This has inspired me to start searching…
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I received my hope chest last year. I’ve been filling it with things that I want to remember and pass down to my future children. Things like, my 18 inch dolls that would have been collecting dust on a shelf, their old clothes, my favorite books and relics from things I accomplished. Like, a program from a play that I was in and my old ballet tutus and costumes I wore when I used to dance. These are things I treasure and hope to pass on to my children-well, maybe excepting the tutus :).
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Thank you for this post!I am 18, and I have just recently started a hope chest. Mine is an old chest my pawpaw made for me to be a toy box. I’m going to put a cushion on it. I have some porcelain dolls, an afghan my Granny made, my Granny’s Bible, a pillow I made, some children’s dress patterns, lighthouses borders for my future bathroom, a crab spoon rest, and a blue and gray old china set my Mawmaw gave me. A few other things too. =P I’m glad to see more girls my age showing an interest in hope chests.
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