My grandma Phillips gave this toothpick holder to me when she moved to an apartment after my grandpa died. I saw it in her kitchen every time I visited her, and now it sits in mine. Seeing it prompts so many questions about her. Growing up, we saw our grandparents at least once a week and often even more. I wish I had known her story more deeply as an individual.

This is what I do know. She was strong, kind, and prone to bouts of laughter and giggles. She survived the Depression. She lived without running water until the mid-1960s. Most of those years, water was pumped and carried from a well across the road. I remember laundry day was a BIG job. She raised chickens for eggs and the occasional Sunday dinner. There were always cookies at her house. She was generous with hugs and kisses.[PHOTOS]

I also know she cooked most meals from scratch, canned vegetables in the summer, and her home felt warm and welcoming. When we visited, it felt like no time had passed. The toothpick holder reminds me of those ordinary but meaningful details—it's a simple object that was part of her life and now it's a special part of mine.

-Cathy C.