I'm about to pass down my hope chest to my niece.

I would say "MARY!" but you sound like a nice man.

Am I the only one that had to google hope chest? Had never heard of it before.

"I have seen your chest & there's no hope!"--Sinatra to Ruth Buzzi, I think. But good on you, OP. I bet your niece will really enjoy it.

Perhaps if she has a son, he could use your masculinity, which you seem to have also put in the hope chest.

[quote]Some of the contents of the chest include the following: a patchwork quilt; a hand-woven afghan that I made myself on a weaving loom when I was 14; a sweater that I had crocheted for my dad; paper doilies, monographed lace napkins, and a place setting from my bar mitzvah reception; a locket that my grandmother had given me that contained a photo of her and my mom; my mother's wedding veil; a first edition book of "The Complete Poems of Emily Dickenson" that I bought at a flee market for $2!; and my Raggedy Andy doll.

OP, how on earth did you think you were straight?

I cannot help but love you . I hope your niece is touched by it.

Curious what your dad thought of the sweater gift?

I bet you your Mom remembers the day you started working on your beautiful hope chest too OP! It was right in that moment that she knew she would never have grandchildren.

OP, that's very sweet. I wish you were my uncle. Do you know for sure that your niece will appreciate this gift? I think mine would throw it out as soon as I'm dead (or in a nursing home).

That's lovely. I hope she appreciates it.

Recommendation: For God's sake ask her first if she wants it first, please don't stick her with this thing she has to hang onto for the rest of your life but hates, and secretly wishes you would die already so she can get rid of it.

For god sakes don't give her that box of crap unless she owns an expansive home and is reasonably settled. Nobody needs your artifacts taking up their real estate for the next 40 years because you're a hoarder.

Let's be real r11, if Uncle Bottom comes to her with his emotional hope chest story and asks her if she wants it she is going to feel compelled to say yes. Maybe she does want it, maybe she will be dreading to get it, but the answer will be the same either way.

I like the way you think R12 very smart man.

Twins!

R13 if she isn't smart enough to say "Oh that is so thoughtful of you but I just don't have room for it, maybe you can keep it longer" then that is on her, at least she has a chance, instead of just being presented with a gift that makes her look like an ass if she refuses.

You should include a work out tape for post pregnancy and a book on how to give the best blowjobs -real world shit if she wants to keep her man.

If this was an EST, I give it a 6/10.

R2 exemplifies the loss of enculturation, the shallowness of people today, the ravages of technology, and, of course, a loss of hope.

R12 : It's a cedar chest. Anyone who would turn that down if they don't have something like that already regardless of the story behind it would be an idiot.

This would make a great Christopher Guest movie.

8/10. The doilies were the dead giveaway, but otherwise this was charming.

Does it have a place for her to conceal her gun like this one?

Did you remember to pack your ovaries?

Oh. Bless you you big, tender-hearted pouf. Be thoughtful and include a prepaid lifetime membership to a nice storage unit.

Is it possible to crochet a sweater?

Maybe son trump inauguration memorabilia.

Dorian Corey knew the proper use of a hope chest

Embarrassing

R13 has just told the story of my life. :(

Are you the Princess Diana Scream queen?

Don't forget to retrieve all your porn pictures from the Hope Chest!

R32 lmao

Seriously, seriously?

Hope chest?

No just no

Op, this is so gay. Dammit really gay.

I have to agree with R20. I'd say yes just to get that cedar chest.

I read the first part of your post, OP, and thought I would say something snotty about how could you think you were straight blah blah, but then you mentioned your Raggedy Andy doll, and my icy heart melted. You sound lovely. Start another hope chest just for you. It's sweet of you to give this one to your niece.

bump

I want those doilies!!!

My older sister had a hope chest probably high school in mid 60s. Pretty sure it was Lane. She ended up with THREE husbands. Talk about hope fulfilled.

You can call them blanket chests if that seems more palatable.

OP, now don't get disappointed if your niece doesn't fully appreciate all these mementoes. They are a different generation after all and they probably don't have the same affectionate memories you do.

I second a "How to give a good blow job," dvd.

best thread ever

R19, you magnificent MARY, are you always this overly dramatic?

I BETTER GET THAT FUCKING AFGHAN!

This is one of the saddest things I've ever read. Not just on the DL. Anywhere.

No one wants musty old doilies, OP.

I hope your niece is open to receiving your hope chest and passing it down. I've got family pictures and items back to the 1860s and nary a one of my grandparent's descendants even remotely interested in receiving them. Next stop will be the trash bin after I'm gone. I sincerely hope you have better luck.

My advice is to put the contents on EBay. That way you know it's going to someone who will be thrilled to get it. tell you're niece if she wants anything she can bid on it. You'll soon know how much she cares.

OP has found a thing that gave him happiness, and I bet he does lots of other things to make himself and others happy. Learn from this. It's more important to be warm than cool.

OP, at any point in your life did you ever have anything COOL inside the hope chest? Pornography? Drugs? Baseball glove? Batteries? Pocket knife?

If not, then I agree with the poster who wrote that this is the saddest story ever.

How did Dad's crocheted sweater end up in the HOPE CHEST? Shouldn't Dad be wearing it?

I can't believe the original hope chest thread was from 2008! Time has flown. It was a classic, though.

Are you the OP of the original thread or did you just cut and paste, OP?

R52 It's STILL a classic.

IF this fuckery is true, and I doubt it, why the hell is the crochet sweater you made for you dad still in YOUR hope chest?

I like to think he sneaked into the funeral home and took it off his father before the services, R54.

Nice find r52, we seem to have a troll that is getting off on copying and pasting old threads. I didn't catch this one but I catch the "how do I get my partner to give me money" one immediately.

I think it's a great gift! make to tell her or write down everything you said here as it just adds more to the piece. maybe a letter inside the chest with that info. I'm sure she will love it!

R57 - can't fucking read that this is a trolling troll post and wants to keep quoting replies to his assholes buddies around the cooler

R58 What's your problem? And how do you have this "inside information" that escapes everybody else?

What inside info are you talking about?

I remembered this thread when it was first posted in 2008, so I linked to the original in R52. This guy is copying & pasting old threads and passing them off as his own for some reason. No insider info needed.

And, BTW, I snipped a lock of hair from Dad and placed it in a musk scented envelope and then right in the hope chest.

Discretion prevents me from saying whether it was hair from his head or elsewhere. It's the thought that counts.

I agree with you about the sounding silly part OP.

I was with friends last night and something made me think of this thread and the OP's life. I got really sad and couldn't explain it to my straight companions.

Gay life can be so lonely.

It's not just a gay thing. Loads of people are left with with things they don't want when their parents/grandparents die. It's pretty sobering to think that everything single you own, no matter how much it means to you now, will one day either be sold, in the bin or at Goodwill.

OP if you didn't get too depressed reading these snarky comments, I liked what you had to say and would like to make a connection offline.

I never knew men had hope chests, ever in history.

OP: Have you heard from your niece? Was she grateful? I hope so. You put a lot of thought into this gift.

[quote]a first edition book of "The Complete Poems of Emily Dickenson"

Garage Sale.

OP, why don't you keep it for now? At 45, you're not dead yet!; you COULD meet Mr. RIght in the next 10 years???, right?

This is a cut and paste of a very old DL post. Some of you are replying to a ghost.

OP: I agree that you should keep it. A lot of the millennials of the DL think that the gay "sell by" date is the 35th birthday. You've still got life in you. And you sound totally sweet.

R20, not everyone has room in their apartment for a large cedar chest. If someone gave me any sort of furniture type item I would either have to refuse it or put it into storage.

bump

I'll take the cedar chest if your niece declines. I have a lot of cashmere sweaters.

3/10

Congratulations OP You are the biggest MARY! I have ever seen on Datalounge.

Have you made the gift yet, OP? We all want to know how she reacted.

10/10. You are the wind beneath my wings.

Uncle Bottom! Dare I dream that one day my nieces and nephews will refer to me as Uncle Bottom.

"And this is a sculpture of my bride-to-be's girthy tumescent penis. It's made of macaroni!"

R81 That's crude.

Crudeness does not belong in the hope chest. Only beauty, art, light ...

"Here is a sulpture of an engorged tower of molton gold I crafted from macaroni"

OP, you're ready to fly right out of here, aren't you?

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.

OP why are you copying old threads you twit?

Bump mp

r88, see r52.

OP: pictures of your niece's reaction to the gift or it didn't happen.

Hope Chest are for girls silly OP.

OP, you really ARE gay, aren't you. No need to show your card.

Big old queen gives shit filled box to niece. Like she wants your crap. Sentimental old flop.

Sweet story but I am still laughing at "Uncle Bottom"

I just can't stop laughing. My mom had a hope chest. And she was born in 1945.

bump

Bump

Make sure you pack a statue of your niece made from pasta in the chest.

Bump

Oh brother

[quote] R2: Am I the only one that had to google hope chest? Had never heard of it before.

I think you are, R2. You are young, no doubt.

OP, I hope you Fabreezed everything before gifted! Otherwise, a nice thought!

I recall asking my Mom & sisters what my "color/season" was, and was told that was only something for girls. It was the 1970s.

Btw, I'm forest colors (green/brown) and an "Autumn".

[quote]I just can't stop laughing. My mom had a hope chest. And she was born in 1945.

MY mom had a hope chest (Lane, cedar) and she was born in1921. When she died, I removed the contents but sold the chest. Too much trouble to move it. (I live 400 miles away.)

A hope chest is for collecting household items you will USE once you set up a household...tablecloths, crockery, linens, blankets, etc. It's not for random sentimental items like your dad's sweater, or a used bar/bat mitzvah table setting.

OP, was there a long term boyfriend in your hope chest?

[quote]r26 Is it possible to crochet a sweater?

Of course! One sit alone by the fire for many nights to finish it, for that authentic touch.

Real men don't have Hope Chests.

They have Gym Bags and Beer Coolers.

[quote]r52 Are you the OP of the original thread or did you just cut and paste, OP?

I say it's the OP from the other thread...he just never worked up the nerve to actually give it away in 2008.

He's serious this time.

[quote] R54 IF this fuckery is true, and I doubt it, why the hell is the crochet sweater you made for you dad still in YOUR hope chest?

Because the dad threw it back in his face when it wasn't his color.

It runs in families...

[italic]They're all going to laugh at you!

Who regurgitated this old gemiEST of stories?

FFS, check the origin date. OP is probably dead.