Bronzing baby shoes has been a tradition for over 75 years. Mine are a fine 
example. Mom had them bronzed, took me to a professional photographer, and assembled a small shrine in my honor. I think she did the same for my sister, Sharron, but I have no recollection of my youngest sister, Jackie, having her shoes done. She probably did though.
Parents bronze their baby’s shoes in order to freeze a moment in time. The bronzed baby shoes become a reminder of when their child was an innocent baby. The shoes make parents think about the time their baby took its first steps. Obviously, first steps are a memorable milestone. A pair of bronzed baby shoes instantly becomes a family heirloom. That’s why Mom kept mine on her bedroom dresser. It reminded her of a simpler time. After she passed, I inherited mine. They currently sit on a shelf in a closet.
We didn’t bronze David’s, Elizabeth’s, or Michael’s. We did purchase a pewter baby mug for each one of them. Actually, David’s mug was originally mine, but we had his name engraved on the mug after he was born. Later, we added Brady’s. It’s with David’s family now.
I don’t know if Mike and Kate will bronze young Jackson James’s shoes. David and Lindsay didn’t have Brady’s or Eva’s done. I think it may be a process that’s lost its popularity. Parents today have bigger fish to fry.
While Ruth doesn’t have bronzed baby shoes, she and her sister, Kathy, have a few pieces of jewelry that have been passed down from generation to generation. Elizabeth has a ring that Ruth’s mom designated for her.
Most of the jewelry that was in my parent’s estate has been passed to my two sisters. I did receive a couple of my dad’s watches, one from Faygo and one from the teamsters. I’ve passed those on to David and Michael.
Each generation is charged with carrying on traditions and passing on family heirlooms. Some live on, while others fade away. The thing is, they only have value if you embrace them. Carrying-on for the sake of carrying-on means nothing. Each of us decides what stays, what fades with time, and what begins anew.