I inherited a lot of my grandma's jewelry. It took me years to see what I'd really been given.

The author, shown here as a child with her grandmother, said it took her years to appreciate some of the items she inherited from her. Courtesy of Kimberly Yavorski When I inherited my grandmother's jewelry in my 30s, I thought many of the pieces were gaudy. Over the years, I've grown to appreciate them in a different way, seeing how they represent her. I've grown into some of the pieces and have started wearing them to feel closer to her. Sitting on her living room floor with the old boxes, part of me wanted to keep all of the jewelry , but like everything else in Grandma's house, there was just too much of it. We missed the early signs, but it was clear that she had dementia and couldn't care for herself any longer. It was time to empty her overstuffed house .