Hope chests were for girls who hoped one day to meet the ONE man of their life....and marry........times have changed. I did have one, and marry him!...but now he's gone ahead of me and all my stuff will probably end up at goodwill...my dd and gds don't want any of it!
as an aside.......my neighbor, who just turned 90, showed me her cedar chest-once her hope chest- filled to the brim with linens she recd when she first married...never used! She gave me a few pillowcases...can't find that quality fabric anymore. She was going to give me some of the sheets, she said, so I could cut up and use in some quilts....oh, I couldn't do that...I told her to use them! Sadly, no children, her hubby gone too, and extended family not interested.....so moral of this is - use everything you own until tattered and chipped! I think I'll dig out my fine china and use it as everyday...why not!