In 1865, my great grandmother, as a young woman eleven years old came over from Norway with her family. The times have changed. Today we moved my daughter into her dorm room at Columbia University. While the small tine or bent wood Norwegian box shown above held all my great grandmother's most treasured possessions, It took 3 of us, a mini-van and a huge college staff to carry the things for my daughter's room. Today, there were thousands of freshmen all over Manhattan with their parents filling bags and bags with essential last minute shopping.

My grandmother's box offers an interesting comparison. You decide whether it means one thing or another. I am too tired from a long day up and down stairs and through the streets of New York City to think about it.