I’ve never been very good at genealogy. I’ve always been interested in it and love learning about my ancestors and the trials they went through and the people they were, but there are enough divorces in the mix that it makes mapping out the family tree a little challenging at times. It’s hard to keep track of what goes where and who belongs with whom, all in all it’s kind of a mess. Luckily, I have parents and grandparents who have passed down their stories for us. Many of them have kept active journals of their lives. It is fascinating to learn about where you came from. I still remember as a little girl sitting down with my sweet great-grandmother and listening to stories of her childhood. She’d tell us about the Great Depression and picking up spilled grain one by one off of the street, she’d tell us about her grandmother who sailed across from Switzerland and left her entire family behind to join a church they wanted nothing to do with. I remember her pulling out old photo albums and talking for hours about what their lives were like and what they went through so that we could have the life we have today.
Most kids have a desire to know where they came from. From a young age you can teach them about their family. If you don’t know much about your family history ask one of your parents. Not long before my great-grandfather died my grandmother sat down with him and interviewed him about his life and compiled it into a book for each of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I cherish the stories in that book. They are ones I will tell my children for generations to come.
From the time my son was very, very young I’ve had a picture of my great-grandparents sitting in our front room. My son became fascinated by the couple in the picture. He wanted to know who they were and I explained that they were his Great-Great Grandma and Grandpa Jerry. He talks about them often. Even today he sat down at the table with a paper and pencil and said, “Mommy, I’m writing a blog for Grandma Jerry.” My son has never met them, but he loves them just the same. They are his grandparents. This connection to the past, gives life just a little more purpose. Families really are forever.