Like most family historians, I enjoy hunting for ancestors and finding their stories. After all, “just the facts, Ma’am” can be rather dry and unimpressive. It is the story that brings our ancestors to life. Seeing how they lived, how they faced adversity, how they responded to the political and economic events in their time, and how they celebrated life’s blessings can both inspire and motivate us.
And so for years I have dug and dug and dug some more,
looking for those stories to record so that future generations won’t have to. For
the past four consecutive years, I have participated in the A to Z April Challenge by focusing on some aspect of my family history – unusual names in my
family, in-laws and out-laws, those who attended my grandparents’ funerals.
But there are voices of genealogists smarter than I am
that keep saying, “Don’t forget to tell YOUR story.” MY story?? At first I didn’t think I
had a story. That’s just it. Honestly, most of my ancestors’ stories are
rather ordinary, yet I am still intensely interested in learning about the people who
came before me even though they did nothing special to earn a mention in a
history book. So maybe it is not so crazy to imagine that one day my
great-grandchildren and great-greats and great-great-greats might look for my
picture and wonder what kind of person I was and how I lived.
Therefore, for the benefit of my descendants yet to be, I
will use this challenge to write about my childhood and teen years.
My theme for this A to Z April Challenge will be Growing
Up in Cradock.
See you in April!
© 2016, Wendy Mathias.
All rights reserved.
Yes...YOUR story! A perfect addition to your family history with no doubt, more relatives to add to the mix. Looking forward to April.
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
I always enjoy your A -Z April Challenges, so will look forward to your daily posts in April!
ReplyDeleteSnap, Wendy! I have come up with the same theme - "I Remember When...Memories of Childhood and Beyond". I look forward to reading your entries and comparing notes.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great theme and wise for you to tell your story; good to "leave behind" so to speak for your family!
ReplyDeletebetty
What a great theme! Telling YOUR story will be so wonderful for your family. I look forward to your posts! ~Lori~
ReplyDeleteLori @ As the Fates Would Have It
Lori @ Promptly Written
Sounds good! I look forward to reading Your story!
ReplyDeleteOh this is gonna be good! I'm going to start popping the popcorn now!
ReplyDeleteSuper theme. I am ambivalent about memoirs. I think people need to know their lives are a niche area with a small audience. But I think people need to know they are passing so much along to the future by sharing their stories. I love family histories whether they be yours or mine. Ordinary people in many ways have a more honest perspective on what is truly memorable.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the big reveal......fun stuff!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I look forward to reading and think that I may "copy" your idea for next year!
ReplyDeletePeople so often do forget to tell their own stories, don't they :) Great theme, hope it goes really well for you in April.
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
That's so nice you will be exploring your past and your own story as a theme. Here from the A-Z, and wish you a very fun and successful challenge.
ReplyDeleteNilanjana.
Ninja Minion, A-Z 2016
Madly-in-Verse