Post by Hephzibah on Feb 26, 2005 12:35:23 GMT -5
Here is a story that was written by Bob Dunn who had sent it to one of the mailing lists that I am on for genealogy. This helps explaine why we do genealogy. I thought it belonged here for it is a good story but Trevor if you want to bump it to the other area ok.
Why Genealogy
We are the chosen. In each family there is one who seems to find the ancestors. To put flesh on the bones and ask them to 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 storytellers of the tribe.
All tribes have one. We have been called as it were by our genes. Those who have gone before us cry out to us: Tell our story.
In finding them we somehow find ourselves. How many times have I told the 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 just 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 cannot let this happen.
The bones there are bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to 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 giving up, their resolution to go on and build a life for their 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 we love each one, as far back as we can reach. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, I tell the story of my family. It is up to the one called in the next generation to answer the call and take my place in this long family of storytellers.
That is why I do family genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and restore the memory or greet those we had never known before.
By Bob Dunn
Why Genealogy
We are the chosen. In each family there is one who seems to find the ancestors. To put flesh on the bones and ask them to 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 storytellers of the tribe.
All tribes have one. We have been called as it were by our genes. Those who have gone before us cry out to us: Tell our story.
In finding them we somehow find ourselves. How many times have I told the 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 just 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 cannot let this happen.
The bones there are bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to 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 giving up, their resolution to go on and build a life for their 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 we love each one, as far back as we can reach. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, I tell the story of my family. It is up to the one called in the next generation to answer the call and take my place in this long family of storytellers.
That is why I do family genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and restore the memory or greet those we had never known before.
By Bob Dunn
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