No need to be sorry.... they were good tears. Any tears your stories bring are good tears, in my experience.
In my china cabinet are two small bud vases that my Uncle Ike brought to his mom from Japan when he was in the Merchant Marines. They're slightly dinged from having survived the fire that burned down her house, but still beautiful. And an English china casserole dish with a piece missing from its lid, courtesy of the same fire. A hand-blown cream pitcher from Jamestown VA that I gave my mom over 20 years ago...
And remnants of the family "good china," that Mom bought at Kroger's in the mid-late 60s, when you got a piece free for every X dollars spent. There were six in our family, so we spent a LOT of money at the store each week. None of us really have big family dinners, so I divided the place settings amongst the family. That way we can all share the memories of holiday dinners gathered together at a table so full of food there was almost no room for us.
I hope your birthday was and your thanksgiving will be as wonderful as you are.
