Sunday, January 8, 2012

And So It Is Told….

jesse O. Burgess-p

      My great grandfather Jesse O Burgess

 

                                                The Chosen                      

 

We are the chosen.  In each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors.  To put flesh on their bones and make them live again. To tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve.  Doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before.  We are the story tellers of our tribe.  All tribes have one.  We have been called, as it were, by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story.  So, we do.  In finding them, we somehow find ourselves.  How many graves have I stood before and cried?  I have lost count.  Hoe many times have I told my ancestors, “You have a wonderful family; you would be proud of us”. How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say. It goes beyond documenting facts. It goes to who I am, and why I do the things I do. It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying – I can’t let this happen!  The bones are bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh.  It goes to doing something about it.  It goes to our pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish.  How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life fort heir family.  It goes to deep pride that the fathers fought and some died to make and keep us a nation.  It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. It is of equal pride and love that our mothers struggled to give us birth, without them we could not exist, and so w love each one, as far back as we can reach.  That we might be born who we are.  So, as a scribe called,  I tell the story of my family.  It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take my place in the long line of family storytellers. That is why I do family genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and restore memory or greet those who we had never known before…

 

by Della M. Cummings Wright; rewritten by her granddaughter Dell Jo Ann McGinnis Johnson; edited and reworded by Ton Dunn, 1943."

I saw this online and had to write it here…..this is exactly how my heart feels about this wonderful journey of discovery I am on.

13 comments:

Fran said...

Thank you so much for sharing that. So beautifully written, and so true! :)

My Vintage Mending said...

Beautifully written...smiles...Renee

Lisa said...

I think I may be the one who takes over for my grandmother's work. I feel the time slipping away and don't see any of the younger generations caring where they came from. It is important to know you have a connection to the history they make you learn. To me it makes it more real.
I love this thanks for sharing
Hugs, Lisa

Hearts Turned said...

Oh, Sandy....I've got tears in my eyes as I read this...tears and a smile and a constant nodding of my head! This wonderful woman hit the nail square on the head, didn't she?! That is IT exactly!

May I share this on my blog sometimes soon? This may be the best explanation for why we do what we gatherers & keepers do. Could NEVER have said it better myself!

I've been such a bad visitor lately (to ALL my blog friends!)...please forgive me! This last year has been so full of changes in our family--good changes, but changes nonetheless--that I've been having to readjust to how I spend my personal time! I'll be visiting much more often, however--think I'm back in the swing of things!

Thank-you, as always, for your sweet visits and always very kind, thoughtful comments...I ALWAYS appreciate it!

Wishing you a lovely week ahead, dear friend...

Julie

Lynn said...

I am so excited for you!! I love history and would love to discover my family's history! I would not even know how to start. I admire that you have the knowledge on how to do the searching. I am part of the West/Kirby family. On my Dad's side, I am part Collins. On my Mother's side I am part Gregory.
You have a wonderful week!!
Hugs,

Nancy said...

Hi, Lisa sent me over. Marvelous! I am writing as often as possible about the clippings I find and filling in with info I know.

Such fun with such a sense of responsibility that I just am astounded by it all. I hope to be able to publish a little book for Christmas next year.

Shirley Hatfield said...

I belong to the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. Each year I am supposed to research and write a history of one of my ancestors who came to Utah before the railroad. I love discovering my family stories. That is one of the reasons I started blogging...so I would have a place for my children and grandchildren to go to read what I have written before I die...which I hope won't be until at least 2055. =D

Carla said...

Genealogy is a great way to learn history as it unfolded in your family. Yes, we all most likely have some unsavory characters but we learn from their mistakes and wonder how they & why they did what they did. I belong to DAR and was able to join because earlier generations enjoyed the mystery of the search. To me, it's like a puzzle and who knows what you find but the journey is pretty darn cool. I've learned so much history since I started researching.

Carla said...

And I should proofread my comments before I hit the Publish button!

Anonymous said...

I know I'm so glad my cousin was the chosen one in my family! ♥

Ric Rac and Polka Dots said...

Sandy,
Oh that silly Holly cracks me up!
I have been doing a little research too and it is so exciting. I often wonder about the generations before me, and marvel about the combination of timing and fate that created the life I am living today. Each of those family members were a part of what brought me right here, right now. It's so amazing.
Enjoy your research, and if I haven't already told you, have a wonderful new year!
Hugs,
Julie

retrorevival.biz said...

Enjoy your amazing journey!

~Cindy

Heather said...

Hi, my name is Heather! Please email me when you can, I have a question about your blog!

HeatherVonSJ[at]gmail[dot]com

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