Larry Gritton

Jennifer and I were married in May, 1972.  Of course we registered for wedding gifts at Marshall Fields, actually viewing the items at the store since there was no internet or online access.  I have retained dishware, glassware and cutlery from then, but I doubt I still have anything else from the registry.

We did receive gifts from guests and friends that were not on the registry.  I know we received a pewter tea service from Elaine Fiffer, but the one that stands out the most is the genuine Picasso Plate pictured above, given by friends Steve, Bill, Penny and Wendy.

This gift occupies a place of honor in my den, where I spend too much time watching TV or reading, especially during 2020, and serves as a reminder of how special family and friends can be.  Our wedding was a time to celebrate with both family and friends, though sadly the family has thinned out over the years – Jennifer, my Mom and Dad, my in-laws Millie and Frank Levy, my machetunim Faye and Fred Tatel, two aunts and three uncles, and Sam Tomasello, my current wife Sara’s younger brother.  The Plate helps me remember them.

I am fortunate to have attended junior high at Central School in Glencoe, IL, class of 1964, in my mind the greatest single school class of all time.  Fifty-six plus years later we still connect, having reunions, golf outings, bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings and long weekends, and the communication is in person and not only on Facebook, although there are Growing Up Glencoe and Central Glencoe 64 groups. I have friends that are not from Glencoe, but there is something very special about the Glencoe friends.  Spouses have been incorporated into the group as honorary members.

The four friends who gave me the Plate remain good friends to this day, and the Plate helps me think about them and my good fortune in having so many friends. While the Plate has increased substantially in monetary value, its value to me cannot be measured in money.  It represents my life and fortunes, good and bad.