The Story Tellers..... We are the chosen. My feelings are 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 it were by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story. 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 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 can't 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. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their 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 understanding that they were doing it for us. 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, because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe 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 young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones. (Unknown Author ) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

Michael, That was beautiful .. Where did you find it. Mollie ----- Original Message ----- From: "michael smith" <michaelb36@yahoo.com> To: <TNDICKSO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 9:06 AM Subject: [TNDICKSO] why we do genealogy (yall may like this as much as me) > The Story Tellers..... > We are the chosen. My feelings are 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 it were by our genes. Those who have gone before > cry out to us: Tell our story. 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 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 can't 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. How > they contributed to what we are today. It goes to > respecting their hardships and losses, their 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 understanding that they > were doing it for us. 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, > because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe > 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 young and old to step up > and put flesh on the bones. > (Unknown Author ) > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ > > > ==== TNDICKSO Mailing List ==== > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tndickso/index.htm > Join our sister list DICKSONDIGGERS@topica.com > Have you submitted a pix or history to our webpage lately? > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB > >

thanks mollie - a cousin forward it to me this morning. so I thought I would share it with the group. michaelb --- Mollie Simpson <53154@bellsouth.net> wrote: > Michael, > That was beautiful .. Where did you find it. > Mollie > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "michael smith" <michaelb36@yahoo.com> > To: <TNDICKSO-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 9:06 AM > Subject: [TNDICKSO] why we do genealogy (yall may > like this as much as me) > > > > The Story Tellers..... > > We are the chosen. My feelings are 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 it were by our genes. Those who have gone > before > > cry out to us: Tell our story. 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 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 can't 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. How > > they contributed to what we are today. It goes to > > respecting their hardships and losses, their 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 understanding that > they > > were doing it for us. 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, > > because we are them and they are us. So, as a > scribe > > 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 young and old to step > up > > and put flesh on the bones. > > (Unknown Author ) > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail > > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ > > > > > > ==== TNDICKSO Mailing List ==== > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tndickso/index.htm > > Join our sister list DICKSONDIGGERS@topica.com > > Have you submitted a pix or history to our webpage > lately? > > > > ============================== > > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and > enjoy access to the #1 > > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > > > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB > > > > > > > > ==== TNDICKSO Mailing List ==== > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tndickso/index.htm > To submit your SURNAMES go to this site and fill out > the form: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~tndickso/sursubmit.htm > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy > access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/