I am grateful for curiosity. It was curiosity that led me to start researching my family. Knowing the stories of those who came before me adds to my identity and makes me who I am. I am in awe of my ancestors and what they can teach me and I don’t want them to be forgotten.
Remembering and honoring our ancestors has been a tradition since ancient times. From the Bible to the Pyramids people have wanted to bless and memorialize their loved ones. In many cultures, especially Egypt, Japan and parts of Africa, death masks were a common way of remembering loved ones. During the Middle Ages, people created elaborate stone images for the tops of their tombs, like these from my Welsh ancestors Gwilyn Thomas Herbert (1385-1451) and his wife Gwiladys fetch Dafydd (1385-1454).
Image by G-Man on Find A Grave (memorial ID 82765117)In the 19th century, family Bibles with birth and death dates inscribed in the front were common and were passed down for generations. And then there are the stories of bravery or foolishness or just everyday living that are passed down person to person creating an oral record.
Sharing stories by blogging and family story books has been my way of honoring and remembering my ancestors. Good and bad, they are a part of me. They remind me that I am a part of a family bigger than I ever imagined.
Some day I will be an ancestor. What will I leave to those who come after me? For those I admire, I want to live in a way that honors their memory. For others, I want to learn and not repeat their mistakes. Mostly, I look on their stories, good and not so good, as a gift, a gift that I want to pay forward by sharing with others.
At any rate, I am grateful for the curiosity that started this adventure and for all the discoveries along the way.
Response to 52 Ancestors prompt: Gratitude
tales from my typewriter 