A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country's culture is completely different from your own and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decided to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

 In this case scenario, the items that I would take to represent our family culture are:
Kinara, Small Sack of garden seeds, and the Book of the Dead would be the items I would take with me to the new country. When asked about what these items meant, or their significance--I would tell people that each one of these items is held near and dear to our family. The Kinara represents our families celebration and tradition of breaking free from Christmas, to celebrate Kwanzaa; a tradition that we started about 5 years ago. Through research and seeking out knowledge and truth, we found that the principles of Kwanzaa better embodied our heritage and cultural goal. The garden survival seeds are extremely important because since 2011 our family has immensely struggled to get back to the "land" and become more sustainable through farming and gardening. We also have taken necessary steps prep our selves for numerous scenarios that could take place, and the importance of planting the seed for survival. The Book of the Dead is the last item but is one that represents the original Nubian Spirituality and knowledge. Once seeking as a devout "Christian" for the truth, our deep research led us here and to other texts such as these. Books such as these keep us grounded in our belief that all roads will lead back to the source and foundation, you must only seek...
If I was told upon arrival that I could only keep one item, I must say that it would be the seeds. I say that because the other two items--though extremely important--are more embedded in our hearts and spirits to the point where needing them physically is not required. The seeds can serve many purposes, as far as, sustainability is concerned, but can also open a door for barter and trade within your new territory. This exercise helped me to see that those items that serve as a totem to knowledge and understanding are now written within me and cannot be shaken. Not needing an item to signify my culture is my takeaway, because, at this point, my family culture is written on my heart and mind. I know now, what my family stands for, and what path I must take...that is a feeling that cannot be shaken.