In honor of Mother’s Day, I would like to acknowledge the valuable that many mothers play in ensuring that knowledge of their family history is passed from generation to generation. From the moment that their children are born, it seems, mothers are involved in helping children become aware of and get to know their family connections. I know that my mom has, and I feel that while there is always more to learn I do know a great deal about who her family was and where they came from.
When I was a child, my mother took me to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Not all of them lived close by, either. We took a couple of trips to Texas, where she was born and met my great grandmother, great aunts, and other family members. From my mother I got a sense of who all of these people were and how they all fit together to form her side of the family. Of course, we learned about my father’s side of the family in the same way because fathers help children to discover the people whose names decorate the branches on the paternal side of the family tree.
I would like to thank my mom for all of the work that she has done and continues to do in that regard. It is no small task taking care of small children, let alone arranging visits with relatives. She did a lot of that, though, and I am happy to report that I actually remember some of it. Yes, Mom, the things that you did do matter and I do have a good working knowledge of our family history. Because of that, I can pass that information along to my sons. Some of the information sharing will take place by planning visits to see living relatives and getting to know them. They will learn about other ancestors by the stories that we tell about them and by looking at our family tree. Thanks, Mom for teaching me all about your family. Together, we can share that legacy with my sons – your grandsons.
Photo by penywise on morguefile.com.