Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/infobunny/
*******
Last week, E was assigned a project to find out information about his heritage. He came home and brought up the website http://www.ancestry.com to show me. I had been on it once before but didn’t want to waste the “two week” trial period when I didn’t have much time to devote to it. But this time, in order to help him with his assignment, I went ahead and tried it and was just AMAZED at the results. I would enter in one member, and it would bring up clues to another, but when I found the census registry from my great-grandfather that showed that his home was worth $35.00 and he was a salesman for the “mill”, I was hooked. I spent probably four hours that night typing away, with one person leading to another and then another and then another… I think E got a little irritated that I got so sucked into it! 🙂 Anyway, I finally reached a decent stopping point, where it became very obvious where the holes in the memories were. So I emailed my mom, and got in contact with my grandma-in-law, and my mother-in-law and got what I could. Before too long, my mom was visiting her mother to find out names and dates, and I arrived home from work to find my mother-in-law had brought me a book of one side’s family history. It is amazing, and beautiful, and humbling to see all those on paper who have come before you.
I love this. It’s SO AMAZING to see where my family has come from, and who my husband and my children come from. And to realize that someday, I myself will be just a name and a set of dates on some woman or man’s family tree. To look at one couple, who had FIFTEEN CHILDREN, and to see the hundreds… literally… that have come from that one couple. It’s no wonder our earth’s population is so large! But too… to see how our trees are growing smaller as well. Now people are having two children, instead of five.. and five was instead of 12… because our world and society just doesn’t have the need for large families like that. We can’t afford them.
So that is my little blessing this week. The homework assignment that sparked a lot of conversations, and documenting and hopefully, a really neat record for my family. And even more importantly, the chance to catch information from those who know it first hand, while we still can. Sometimes I think we forget to ask the questions, to write it all down, while we still can. I’m glad I have that chance now, when the grandmas in my family are still here to ask.
One other little thing tonight that happened that I want to mention. I texted a friend of mine to let her know I wouldn’t be joining Bunco this week because I was feeling crummy, and she texted back within minutes to say that she was running to Target, and could she pick me up anything? I was genuinely surprised and touched by her gesture. I think I need to up my “friend-game” a little, because I don’t know if it would occur to me to offer to run to Target for a friend! Bring soup if she’s really sick, yes. Go to the hospital and take flowers, yes… but that’s all for major stuff. But for just feeling crappy? I should take that gesture and strive to be THAT FRIEND. It was so sweet. I’m so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. All the wonderful people in my life! I just hope that I am able to be that wonderful girl in someone else’s life!
Blessings and love to you tonight!! I’m off to bed early to ward off the croup that Little One so kindly shared with me this week. 🙂 Sweet dreams, my friends.
hiddenblessing 