Whether your heirloom would stun its receiver with a $32,000 appraisal on “Antiques Roadshow,” or bring in a measly 25 cents at a garage sale, the heirloom you are giving is worth something to you. If it weren't, you probably wouldn't be passing it down to the next generation. What separates an heirloom from garage sale rubbish? It's the story behind the object.

In a place of prominence in my home sits a small slab of petrified wood. To most people it's a nice looking rock — to me, it's much more. This rock has become a symbol of my grandparents, their love, their life and their story.

My grandma thoughtfully selected this heirloom and shared the story behind it, endearing it to her posterity as a family treasure.

Garage Sale-Proofing Step 1: Share where the heirloom came from.

My grandma and grandpa “encountered an unexpected treasure” while doing fieldwork for my grandpa's PhD in geology. “There, far from highways and people in general, was a few acres; the final resting place of a dozen or so fallen trees, stumps and miscellaneous pieces of wood — all petrified.”

This was their first geological adventure as a newly married couple. They were already loaded down with surveying equipment but wanted a piece of wood to remind them of this expedition. They searched the grounds until they found a “small piece” (weighing just over 20 lbs.) and finally settled on taking turns carrying the wood in their arms. It was a difficult proposition, “stepping through rocks, sagebrush, and cactus, dodging lizards, one rattlesnake and one Gila monster.” This “made the trek one they didn't want to repeat, but will always remember.”

Is there a story behind how you came to own your heirloom? Was there someone important who created the object or found it? Who were they and why were they important to you? Is there an adventure behind the article clambering to be told? Tell it.

Garage Sale Proofing Step 2: Share what makes this object important to you.

My grandma continued,

Over 54 years of married life, we kept that piece of petrified wood as a part of the family's treasured possessions. It moved with the family through several states and was a familiar object to our sons and their friends.

We often talked about the rock. First of all it was a symbol and beautiful reminder of a goal accomplished: the field work and completion of Grandpa's dissertation for his PhD in geology. It also marked the beginning of a life long professional career in his chosen field of work that he dearly loved.

We always had a fascination with the petrification process which is a complete replacement, cell per cell and should more properly be called agatized wood.

For my grandparents the petrified wood became a reminder of a goal accomplished and a promise of what their lives could become.

Did the object you are giving as an heirloom give you comfort at a time you needed it? Did it serve as a symbol of something intangible but nonetheless valuable? These emotional attachments to tangible articles become a window to who you are. By sharing these attachments, you share a part of your unique experience and perspective in life.

Garage Sale Proofing Step 3: Share why you chose to give the heirloom.

When my grandpa passed away, my grandma tried to think of some way “to tie the grandchildren to their grandfather.” She discussed the idea with her children, and “all of [them] in one accord thought of the rock” — the petrified wood that had been with them for as long as they had been a family. They would “have that rock cut up and give each of the grandchildren one piece” then “put a piece in the casket before it was closed.”

Is there a specific reason you want to give this heirloom to a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild? Was there something about the object that made you think of the person you are giving it too? Was there something special you wanted that particular person to remember about you? Tell the receiver why you picked this heirloom for them.

Garage Sale Proofing Step 4: Are there any words of wisdom or any analogies you want to pass along with the object?

When my grandma presented us with our small sections of petrified wood she said,

I decided that in order to really make this a time to remember we should have something said about the relationship between the petrified wood and our lives. So I worked up this little thought.

We are all soft and vulnerable in these growing years just like a tree. But as time goes on we are filled with more wisdom, and responsibilities, and an understanding of life — more rings, more growth.

Sometimes we find that we've taken a wrong turn and there will be a crack in our life's rings, but then we heal, and out of that come these little quartz crystals. They come and fill in the crack and become very beautiful. Our life can be the same way when we “fill in” and proceed in a better way than the choices we had previously made. And in the end we recognize our true value and we're able share our beauty with others.

Heirlooms can teach and inspire generations to come.