Recently I've heard, I've read, and I've studied many talks on Family History. Yes, a lot of the time the point of the talk was to do genealogy. And while that sounds like an incredible (and easier..) thing to do, I decided that I just wanted to get to know my family more. I want to know where I came from, and somehow find a way to honor the people who brought me here. They are the reason I am alive, and the reason that I am where I am in life.
So I dug through my moms basement, box after box. I'm lucky because my family used to email ALL the time. And I think they printed off just about EVERY email ever sent. About 3/4 of our, "Family History" marked boxes, are emails sent between my family and my Grandma. I spent all Sunday night until 3 a.m reading every email. Just intrigued because I couldn't remember any of the things they were talking about. For example, my mom wrote this detailed letter around the time of my scar-stitches-face incident. I don't remember having to go in to the doctors after visiting the hospital and I don't remember my nose collapsing (did it really???), and my Grandmother's genuine concern for me just brought tears to my eyes. I ended up gathering that while I knew my Grandma, and I know my family and my siblings, these emails just taught me who they were while I was younger. These emails reassured me of the loving, close-knit family that I belong to. It's a total testimony builder to listen to their experiences, big or small, and see what it was they faced daily that led them to their successes. Reading of them testifying their trials and the lessons they learned showed me that all things are possible through my Heavenly Father. They faced different adversities than I do in my life. I don't know what my future withholds but to know that my Grandparents, and their parents could get through it, I can too.
I mean, honestly, isn't it incredible that because of their small actions of printing, I am able to learn more about their life that I didn't notice when I was younger. I went over to my grandmothers house all the time, yet some of the things she wrote, I never noticed she, or my Grandpa, did every day.
My sister Katie was the biggest on writing my Grandma everyday. From what I could tell my sister would write her every day after school, sometimes even twice a day. And my Grandma would ALWAYS write back. To me that just shows the love my Grandma had for her grandchildren. I'm sure the conversations were never that important. But she still wrote back, and she still got us all talking about our life because she genuinely cared. Thats the type of person my Grandma was. She showed her love through her ears. She would rather spend hours listen to her grandchildren over a game of Golf than anything else.
Seriously the amount of emails might be a little bit funny to me now that I think about it. I guess email was just today's version of texting. So. Many. Emails.
Now move past the emails.
I got into the scrapbooks with pictures, diplomas, wedding invitations...everything.
I don't think there was a piano recital program that my grandma didn't scrapbook. Haha, but it was awesome! I got to see what my mom and her siblings were involved in when they were my age! Or even my Grandma and Grandpa! They even scrapbooked their Grade Reports. Now I know where I get my smarts from ;). But reading my mom's college journal and reading about her daily activities was just so funny, cause while somethings have changed in these days, some are the same. Girls will always write in their journals about their latest crush, and we will always give reports about how school is overtaking our life. It's nice to know that I wasn't the only one that talked about life's big decisions in my Journal.
Anyways you probably don't care what I necessarily was finding within the dozens of books and journals I found.
But can I just share something?
I hope you go do the same. Get to know your ancestors. Like me, you may think you know your family and ya, maybe you do. But for me, it was like I was investigating. I was on my computer typing in name after name trying to find more stories of my family. Or maybe find reasons of certain events that occurred. And yes! There were some stories of my great great great great (a little exaggerated...) Grandma! It got to the point where I was learning stuff about ancestors down the line, generations and generations ago. But yet I was still able to see how certain traits and characteristics of these people passed down to each generation. I guess I just learned that I am who I am, because...they were who they are. Whether they did something eventful (life-changing) or just led a normal life...my family is a part of me. And knowing their life, will guide me in whats to come for my future.
It just feels good to know them a bit more. Almost like, when I get to heaven they will all be up there to meet me and have something to say to me. And I'll be able to respond to them because I've learned of little events in their life. I got a (post) sneak preview of what they were like in school, marriage--life. Heaven won't be a lonely place, but now it also won't be a quiet place.
Maybe it is just me, but we all have something to learn. We all start somewhere. For me, I start at my family. They are the center of my life. The ability to learn from them, or just know of them is an incredible feeling. They are my roots and they know so much more than I do. Just the sheer knowledge that I have a family is enough for me, but to be able to dig a little deeper and learn the things they learned, see the things they saw is considered a blessing. I guess this blog post is just one for me. Something I recently learned is that just reading about my family is an instant picker-upper. Learning all that I can about them will bring joy to me. I feel as though I can turn to these people (...books) at any moment looking for an answer, and there will be a story of my great great great grandma going through something similar. These books aren't just memories now, they can be a guide to this 20 year old girl. Who is just starting her life, and just starting her memories. A girl who is now dreaming to someday have the same effect on her grandchildren, or her children's grandchildren. These people didn't know that their lives would be read by me. In fact, when these books were put together, some of them weren't even alive. But I sure hope they know how much guidance they are giving to a wandering daughter of theirs.
So here I am--I guess in a way, making connection to those who are no longer here, physically. A girl understanding where she came from, why she is the way she is, and by this becoming all that she can be. A girl trying to live up to her potential.
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