Past, Present and Future

I've been into genealogy now for a while... I can trace it back to a small envelope filled with childish handwriting about names of my great grandparents or a story of how my Granny met my Papa way back when. That envelope remained inside a mail tube containing a rolled up family tree chart in the corner of my closet for years until I dug it back out after college to really get started.

My efforts were off and on at best until my father was diagnosed with cancer. He had always wondered if the stories of a confederate soldier in our family were true, so I worked at a feverish pace trying to prove the tale correct. That set off a chain reaction and I was promptly digging into every side of my family's history in each spare moment I had. Like anyone bit with the genealogy bug, I experienced the highs of cracking what seemed to be a cold case wide open. I also experienced the frustration when a person from the past just could not be found. I've organized family reunions. I've called up second cousins twice removed (who have never even heard of me, mind you) out of the blue to pick their brains about the family. I've traipsed through cemetery after cemetery taking photos of tombstones. I've spent long days digging through archives in the courthouse or other records office. All of these efforts have rewarded me with a deep family tree and many interesting tales.

After my daughter was born, I had no time for this hobby of mine. It was pushed to the wayside for months, replaced with the happy coos of an infant followed by the giggles of a toddler. But just a month or so ago an old mystery I thought unsolvable reared its head through a fellow family researcher and we had a breakthrough. Voila! That was all it took to light the fire and now I am back to stolen moments during nap time or late in the evenings searching online and loving every minute. The terrific genealogy seminar I attended this weekend at the library with Megan Smolenyak (well-know genealogist - check out her website at http://www.honoringourancestors.com/) and the recent TV series "Who Do You Think You Are" only revived the passion more... I realized that it is more important than ever now that I am a mother to trace my roots and be able to pass that on to my daughter.

I love old photos and the stories they carry with them. I love the mystery that comes with whispered family tales. I love the sleuthing that takes place in searching for my ancestors. Most of all, I love knowing where I came from and I hope that someday my daughter will love it just as much. After all, this is her history and she is our legacy...