In Awe Of My Ancestors

When I worked at a local grocery store, I had the job of making sure the produce was done in the morning and ready for the day’s business. I remember being in my own little world while I picked out which tomatoes had spoiled and overhearing a co-worker saying how she didn’t understand why her child had to learn History at all – it was pointless.

While I enjoyed the lady’s company, I didn’t really agree with that statement. Of course, we’re all entitled to our opinions – I’m definitely not some sort of zealot when it comes to swaying those to my point of view.

I will tell you why I think the way I do – if asked.Or if I decide to write my thoughts down on paper or in this blog.

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you probably know my deep respect for History and the desire to have been an Archaeologist way back when. While I’ve not succeeded in that yet, I still find myself looking to the past for a lot of different reasons. Mostly, it boils down to two things: curiosity and wanting to learn as much as I can. I come from that side of the camp that holds the thought that if we don’t know our history, we’re doomed to repeat it.

And for those that are brand new and this is the first piece you’ve read that I’ve written – Welcome and thank you so much for dropping by!

But those two things I just talked about, the whys of me wanting to dig deeper from years – centuries – passed, I do have one more to add. I’m truly in awe of what had to take place for me to get where I am today.

To even exist.

I’ve been doing a bit of research lately into my Family Tree and History. I’ve collected bits of information on where I come from over the years and have most of it in a Filing Cabinet as well as files on my desktop. Some in my family, well – most, don’t get my why. Some may assume I’m trying to dig up bones and skeletons from the past that are better left alone.

But, I think there’s one of me in every family. That one person that genuinely loves to figure out how we came to be for no other reason than to satisfy that curiosity, you know?

And that bug has bitten me again this year. I never know when but I know it’ll happen.

The last week I’ve been trying to find out more and pinpoint the information I can. I have found that my ancestors landed in Halifax, VA a long time ago and made their way towards Tennessee in the Memphis area. It’s a small town called Covington which is in Tennessee that they eventually settled. Before that, I’ve discovered we are predominately English, Scottish, German, and Swiss.

The part that leaves me in awe, the part that I am writing about today is the struggles and danger they had to go through.

A few years ago, my husband and his son went to the Great Smokey Mountains together. Surely, my people had to have crossed that mountain and terrain to get to West Tennessee from Virginia long ago. It was nice, for the most part, but I had on a modern pair of shoes and clean water from the store. I was able to take breaks in the hotel room with air conditioning.

But them?

They had no such reprieve from the bears (which we did see), snakes, and hilly terrain. I found myself stopping once in awhile and wondering if they traveled this part I was treading.

How they kept going?
What, exactly, drove them to keep pushing forward?
Did they sit on the bank of that waterfall and stream to cool themselves off?
Were they able to sleep comfortably?

All of those questions came to mind and also the realization had anything went wrong, one tiny turn that may have been different, I might not even be here.

One example. My Great-Great Grandmother was married a few years before marrying her second husband, which paved the way for the world that I see now. I’ve not been able to find out how that happened but if she hadn’t married Joseph, then the make-up that makes me wouldn’t be possible. That line of thought, honestly, takes me back and truly appreciate the fact that I am here.

So, while I may not ever been President or someone of amazing importance – it’s still something. A lot of something, really. My people traveled across the Atlantic to get to Virginia. Then, they traveled across the mountains and kept going.

Always. They kept going.

Something drove them to do that, some strong will, and here I am.

I don’t think history is pointless from my perspective. Some will think that way and that’s fine. But, it doesn’t change the fact that we are very lucky to be here and we’re really here only but a short time. And, at the risk of sounding exceedingly cheesy, make each day actually count.

Life’s short but it took a lot of time to get here. In the end, I am pretty happy to be here and from the South.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post. Much love and blessings to you all!