12 Oct 2026, 03:30 PM

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The quirky vase, the owl candlestick, my mother’s ring – these items hold part of me and carry with them an existential problemA friend of mine recently discussed his will with me. He talked about the importance of looking after his daughter financially when he’s gone. As a child-free woman, I confidently told him my money will go to organisations that have meant something to me: Macmillan Cancer Support and animal charities. It bemuses me how people think the absence of children is a problem when it comes to inheritance money; it’s always been obvious to me that I’d give my money to causes that touch my heart. But then my friend served something of a curveball. He asked me who will have my deceased mother’s ring?It made me think: where do the precious artefacts from our lives go when we are no longer here? Whenever I’m away from home I look forward to being reunited with these things: the quirky vase that sits in the window of my study, and the owl candlestick, a birthday gift from my potter friend. These items carry parts of me – what will become of them? If you have children, the answer to this question is not presented to you as a puzzle; like a constellation of stars, the answer is perfectly aligned. If you don’t have children, the question can lead to existential angst.Kiran Sidhu is a freelance journalist and writer. She is the author of I Can Hear the Cuckoo. She also wrote the Bafta award-winning documentary Heart Valley. Continue reading...

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