Nelda, This is lovely. I thank you for sharing it. Gloria Reid ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nelda" <nellnjf@arn.net> To: <SCLANCAS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2004 8:56 PM Subject: [SCLANCAS] Fw: [Genealogy > > > I hope this is your idea of what genealogy is ! It says it well ! > > > > Hi all, > > How perfectly the following expresses my feelings (and yours?) about > > collecting the stories of our families who have gone on before us. > > > > William Glendinning > > Northern Ireland > > The Story Tellers.... > > > > We are the chosen. My feelings are that in each family there is one who > seems > > called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them > live > > again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and > > approve. > > > > To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, > > breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of > the tribe; > > all tribes have one. We have been called as if it were in our genes. Those > who > > have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story, and so we do. > > > > In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood > > before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the > ancestors > > you have a wonderful family and 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 am I and why do 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 here are > bones > > of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It > > goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish and how they > > contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships > and losses, > > and never giving in or giving up. Their resoluteness to go on and build a > life > > for their family. > > It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation. It > goes > > to a deep and immense understanidng that they were doing it for us. That > we > > might be born who we are and that we might remember them, and so we do. > > > > With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we > > are them and they are us. So, as a scribe I am called, I tell the story of > my > > family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the > call > > and take their place in the long line of family storytellers. > > > > That is why I do my family genealogy, and that is what calls those yound > ang > > old to step up and put flesh on the bones. Author Unknown > > > > > > > > > > > > Outgoing mail from this location is verified virus-free: > > McAfee ViruScan 2004 (8.0), Data file: 4.0.4346, dated 3/31/2004 > > > > > > ==== GRANNYS-NA-PANTRY Mailing List ==== > > Welcome to GRANNYS-NA-PANTRY-L, a place where all colors of the Rainbow > are welcomed. A safe place without discrimanshion:You may wont to check with > Ancestry.com/ or www.rootsweb.com/ for more research. Thank you for > subscribing to our list! > > > > > > > ==== SCLANCAS Mailing List ==== > Web page with info for this list - http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/SC/lancaster.html > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > > >