Every so often life hands us moments that are so serendipitous, they are beyond description.
I’ve been gifted with two such moments this week.
I’ve played around on ancestry.com for a few years. Last year I found a 2nd cousin who had lost touch with the family. It was wonderful and is a story I will tell here one day.
This week I found another long lost cousin plus a cousin related by marriage.
The long lost cousin is a few years younger than I. She’s the granddaughter of my great uncle. I remember hearing about her as a child. I so wished I could meet her and we could be like sisters. She was an only child and so was I. I wondered why she never visited the family. What I didn’t know was that her father and grandfather (my great uncle) were estranged. Things like this were not discussed in front of a child in my family. In fact, Irish families seem to really excel at secret keeping. I could write many blog posts about family secrets!
I found my long lost cousin on Ancestry. I wasn’t 100% sure it was her so I sent her a message. When she responded that she was indeed who I thought she was I felt like an important piece of a jigsaw puzzled just dropped into its place.
The heartwarming thing is I’ve been able to tell her how much her grandfather loved her. How photos of her were always front and center on his dresser. How he always carried a photo of her. How he talked about her all the time. She knew nothing of this.
The cause of the rift in the family doesn’t matter anymore. I hope that she and I will erase the chasm. I know that all parties who were involved in the rift will look down from heaven and be pleased. I am certain the estrangement has been healed in the heavenly realm. I am so looking forward to being part of the healing here on earth.
The other cousin related by marriage contacted me because she saw her great aunt Irene on my family tree. Irene was my great aunt by marriage. She passed away last year at age 96. She was probably the kindest, most gentle person I’ve ever known. When her niece contacted me looking for information on this branch of her family I was able to tell her that she has another great aunt who is still alive. She’s 101, lives in a nursing home and is sharp as a tack. I’m sure she’ll be a wealth of information.
I love putting the puzzle pieces of my ancestors together. I wish I had more facts. I wish I had a sharp as a tack 101 year old aunt. I know there were lots of stories that I only vaguely remember.
Our ancestors shape who we are. Superficial things like eye color, complexion and height can be found in those who came before us.
But they have gifted us with much more than physical attributes. Their talents, their interests, their personalities all affect us just as much as the gene we inherited that determines eye color. I have ancestors who were seamstresses, tailors, quilters, knitters, artists, cooks, writers,upholsterers, doctors and homemakers. I come by my love of textiles and crafts and all things homey honestly.
We all possess sacred gifts from relatives we’ve never met. Inside each of us are talents we let lie dormant. We don’t delve into the unknown world of painting, pottery or poetry because we doubt our abilities, think we don’t have time or don’t know where to start.
Below, my grandparents Erv and Loretta Roller.
We all have inherited aptitude for a world full of wondrous things . All that is required of us is to look inward and decide how we want to express our inherent talent. How can we honor those who came before by taking a risk and delving into a hobby or activity that they once enjoyed?
My grandmother (below) owned a "letter mailing business" at a time when women did not own businesses. She, of course, gave it up when she got married. It was the lady like thing to do in those days!
Follow your heart and see where it takes you.
Some Observations:
Just Do It! Write a story, write a poem, write a book. Paint a watercolor. Draw a vase of flowers. Take some photos just for the pleasure of it. Visit a museum or a library. Write a journal. Sew a quilt. Sew a pillow. Knit. Needlepoint. Do counted cross stitch. Build a bird feeder. Cook something special. Bake bread. Decorate a room. Sing. Play music. Tell family stories. Bead a bracelet. Keep an art journal. Work on your family tree. Read a book. Go to a play. Exercise or do some yoga. Make a greeting card. Play baseball. Arrange flowers. Plant a garden. Write a letter. Explore things you want to know about online. Decorate a cake. Play cards. Take a walk. Meditate.
I’ll stop the list now, but I could go on for pages. The world is rich with things to do and explore. We are just as rich with ability we’ve yet to tap into.
Some things that are noticeably missing from my Just Do It list:
Get your taxes ready to file.
Pay speed camera tickets.
File all your paperwork.
Balance your checkbook.
Some things do not deserve to be on a Just Do It List!
I know when I am 96 and sitting in a rocking chair I will not say “I wish I’d watched more I Love Lucy reruns.” Life is what we make it and we can make it really amazing. Or we can play solitaire on the computer. Just Do It.
