Tag: Genealogy

Navigating Family Trees: Mistakes and Communication

“I am bound to them though I cannot look into their eyes or hear their voices. I honor their history. I cherish their lives. I will tell their story. I will remember them for I am the result of the very love, struggle, sacrifice and journey of thousands.” Author Unknown

Good day from the beautiful lands of Colorado! Well! I never seem to post blogs I’ve written. Let’s see if this one will make the light of day.

A few days ago, I reached out to a second cousin on a genealogy website with what I thought was a simple question—just to find out which of her parents was connected to us. She responded that she couldn’t help because she doesn’t have access to my family tree. I wasn’t asking for much; I just wanted to know that one simple thing. That’s all I needed!

I told her I would grant her access to the tree I created for her and her family. I then clarified that I make a separate tree for each DNA match. I do this until I figure out how the person is related to me. This process helps me avoid errors.

Every tree will have errors, especially in the early stages of researching family history. And! I made several mistakes during my early research. Nothing frustrates me more than discovering such inaccuracies, only to have to pause my current research project. It is necessary to correct these errors, as leaving them unaddressed only deepens frustration and confusion.

My decision to deny access to my main genealogy tree instantly halted communication. I have since removed the pending invitation. This interaction reinforced a critical life lesson: Be selective about granting access to private spaces and data. People must be more intentional about setting these boundaries.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we ask that you watch over us on our journey to discover our family’s past. Amen

Day Forty One – Removing Clutter

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’ve become addicted to YouTube. Yes, you’ve read correctly! I’m always surfing the following topics, homesteading, remodeling, how to make vanilla extract, genealogy and quilting. And as you know I should be cleaning and decluttering. I have one year to gather the fragments of my life before my husband, me and possibly my youngest son move to another part of Colorado.  

But in the meantime, for some strange reason a channel keeps popping up on my feed as something I might enjoy. So! One day I decided to watch it after a title grabbed my attention. The video was of a husband and wife remodeling their [new to them] doublewide. 

 As I sat watching them install fake beams I concluded the wife was extremely annoying; therefore, I stayed clear of clicking on their channel. Well! In the wee hours of the morning guess what channel popped up for me to watch again! Yep! The annoying woman!

I gave her another chance! This time she did not disappoint! She was talking about decluttering her children’s bedroom, being an understanding mom, addressing her shortcomings and arriving at a junction where things work for her. But! The one thing she said that struck a chord with me mentally and emotionally was “no one wants to live in clutter.” Let’s pray!

PRAYER

Father God, no one wants to live in clutter. Yet, life happens. Clutter happens. And sometimes people find themselves living in conditions they would never live in otherwise.  Help them to fix the problem that hinders them from becoming the person they are destined to become.  Amen 

Day Twenty-Four: Removing Clutter

October 17, 2023

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Wow! Sometimes on my clutter removing journey I really do have funny moments. Yesterday was the 3rd day for me burning the left behind paperwork that belonged to my oldest son. Sadly, because life happens, I wasn’t able to burn all the documents consecutively but it did take three days of my life to attend to someone else’s responsibility. Any-who! I sent my son a text as I neared the end of the project. It had a photo of the cover of a family genealogy book. I asked him if the book was the one he was missing; because he claimed my mom had taken it and had gotten rid of it. He replied with a “yes.”

Well any-who, I sent the same photo to a paternal cousin. I told her how the book came to be in my possession. She said, “You should keep that book. He left it behind.” I told her I would make copies of the book for her and I and give the book to my son. The book means the world to him as it was given to him by my dad, his late grandfather. But here’s where the story gets hilarious!

After sending my son a photo of the cover I also sent him a photo of me reaching the end of burning his personal paperwork. So! When I called him he said, “MOMMA! You didn’t burn my book did you!” His question left me puzzled with my own question of “why would I burn his book.” Then I said, “No! Why would I burn your book!” He says, “Because the last picture you sent was of something burning!” I started laughing and assured him I didn’t burn his book. Afterwards, he told me how he got the book and how much it meant to him.

My son is extremely frugal! Extremely! He asked, “Mom, are you going to send that book to me when you send me my photos? If you do, I will send you the postage.” Now! He was willing to let me send him his photos/pictures/framed artwork on my dime, but that book means so much to him that he is now willing to pay postage for everything. Wow! And! The book is poorly put together and is stained with whatever! Yet, that small bundle of paper that’s clamped together with some type of closure means the world to him.

What I’ve learned from this moment is that sometimes we lose things of value and always find them when we clear clutter from our homes and our minds. Let’s pray!

PRAYER

Father God, help us to clear clutter from our homes and or our minds and afterwards help us to organize and prioritize both spaces so we can enjoy our divine purpose.  Amen