Reflecting on the Past and Forging Ahead

Three years ago, when I returned to my research, I always felt like the ancestors were working as hard as they could and drawing me in 50 zillion directions. I remember commenting on it at the time and thinking it was like they knew time was of the essence. To a certain degree it frightened me because I was always wondering what they knew that I didn't.

But being connected to the ancestors as I am, I now realize that they knew that dad's life was drawing to a close and while they realized that dad could not or perhaps would not impart much information, they also realized that he was also one of their last links and I had to stay at to get as much as I could before it was gone.

And so beginning in 2009, thanks to the digital age coupled with the "archaic" ways, I finally started unearthing a few more bits and pieces of my paternal heritage. And while daddy never fully understood why this was a driving force in my life, he was always commenting how I knew more about his family than he did. And of course, dad's biggest contribution to this effort was his DNA, that the ancestors will forever be alive as a result of.

This past year has been a tough one, but as I stated on Georgia Black Crackers, I am finally feeling like the petals of a flower feeling the warmth of the spring sun and little by little the petals are opening back up and leading me to rejoin this game called life.

So, in addition to the 2012 goals mentioned on Georgia Black Crackers, I also hope to accomplish / complete the goals I set for myself in 2011 for the paternal side of my family. They are as follows:

1. A research trip to Martin County with 2nd cousin C. Curtis as my trusty assistant.
2. Finish scanning the pictures in the album I inherited from Aunt Martha and distribute them to my cousins.
3. Finish transcribing the newspaper articles from another Album I inherited from Aunt Martha.
4. Blog more!!