Digging Deeper

Have you ever received a gift, an heirloom, that belonged to an elder family member? Maybe it was an old stone pot that belonged in the family for generations. What a treasure! Wouldn't it be even greater then to know the story behind it? Maybe Great Aunt Ruth used to use that pot each Sunday for special meals with the family. Wouldn't it have so much more meaning to know the life behind the item?

Genealogy appeals to people who like mysteries - piecing together puzzles from the past and uncovering hidden treasures. I am certainly one of those people. Although I have not had as much time as I would like to devote to ancestral research, it is a hobby I very much enjoy. Ever since I got married 6 yrs ago, I have wanted to know more about where my husband came from. I want to know more about my own ancestors. I want to be able to someday give my children the gift of the past and education for the future. But genealogy is far more than names and dates to me. I want to know more. As I uncover secrets - that a certain great-grandfather was married three times and had numerous children, for example - I find myself wanting to know why. I want to find the photographs that show the happiness and sorrow on the faces of my family members. I want to hear the stories about the eccentric uncles and the semi-famous brothers. I want to create a book, a legacy, that digs so much deeper than just the names and the dates.

I have only begun my journey into the past, and it is an arduous one with many roadblocks along the way. But I am so excited at each new road I find. I want to keep traveling. I can't wait to get my shovel and dig some more.