Most of my Ancestors came from Ireland. It was truly a gift for me to visit the country 3 times. My Dad also sent my son and I a huge box or photos and ancestry paperwork. It’s been fun going thru it all . The gifts that stand out for me are the gift of mental Endurance, love of music and love and pride of family
Since the Fall of Man, life has been difficult, physically, mentally, emotionally, and for most of man’s existence, life threatening. Survival from the environment was a daily challenge. Many didn’t make it. But those that were able to press through the hardships and suffering, did so through sheer determination and will. With their progress, the next generation had to endure a little less. Over time, the threats became fewer and fewer. Better housing was constructed to protect against harsh weather and predators. A better understanding of the body allowed for better treatment of diseases that previously had been a death sentence. Improvements in technology allowed for easier and less hazardous methods to acquire and distribute food. Advancements in engineering led to the development of safer modes of transportation. As each new generation came along, all the grit, determination, and ingenuity the previous generation had acquired and exhibited was passed on.
Why am I here? Because all who came before me, my direct ancestors and others, survived. They overcame. They conquered. They saw the challenge and met it. Today’s life has challenges of it’s own, but they pale in comparison to the challenges of the day to day struggle to survive that my ancestors had to face. By comparison, my life is very, very easy.
But while true, that’s not the real takeaway here. What was in them is in me. What was in them was the Spirit of God (the Mystery as Br. Dave has referred), the source of their strength and their wisdom. That same Spirit is in me. I possess that same source of strength, the same source of wisdom. I may have to apply it differently, but it’s there none the less. With God at my side showing me the way, I can and will survive whatever comes my way! I will face it with courage and determination and I will overcome!
I love the history lesson. I do have one little caveat: Since I work in transportation I view that arc a bit differently. Motor vehicles aren’t actually safer for all of us. True, they offer speed and convenience, and today’s vehicle is safer for the people inside it than the older models. But they’re measurably deadlier for the people who are walking, bicycling, or using a wheelchair or a micromobility device outside the vehicle. I wish it wasn’t left up to the automobile industry to decide to build bigger, heavier vehicles with blunt ends that are more likely to seriously injure or kill on impact and I wish we designed more streets to at least keep the operating speeds down and make them work for people using every mode.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk! 🙂
This is a pretty succinct,
powerful,
in-a-nutshell statement
on our evolution as human beings,
dear Ben.
Now I’m wondering where that evolution will take us
into the future . . . (?)
I don’t know a lot about my ancestors. Even my grandparents and I were/aren’t close. My immediate family is also not ideal and has a lot to work on…but my parents did instill the idea of giving me a better life than how they were raised, and I hope someday I can do the same for my kids.
We grow, we change, we learn from the past. I guess the ability to see others mistakes so I don’t make them again is the gift my ancestors have given me.
They gave me life. They showed me how to love.
Resilience, hard work, sacrifice, discipline, curiosity are a few other qualities that come to mind as well.
🕊️♥️
You mean, besides the gift of life? 😁
The love of reading was passed on to me, and I’m grateful for that. I think my curiosity about the world and how things work and the desire to make things and fix things was passed on to me. My sense of humor was definitely passed on to me.
My ability and desire to survive must have come from somewhere. I definitely didn’t get it from my closest relatives. Maybe it skipped a generation.
I’m glad you mentioned reading, Charlie! My mom had been a teacher. She put flashcards all over the house, read to us a lot, and I knew how to read when I started first grade at age 5. A true gift for a lifetime.
Intuitive clarity, the gifts of drawing and language, a love of athleticism, determination, a sense of justice, a love of adventure. Courage. A musical ear. I have received a lot from my ancestors. My task is to carry these gifts with pride and integrity.
I have a book of old tintypes of some of my ancestors,
mostly from Prussia, Germany, and England . . .
their faded faces beg me to know them,
to remember something of them in my body . . .
my heart knows something of them,
but my brain doesn’t.
I know nothing about their lives in their native countries,
but none of them were rich or famous.
I believe I came from hardy stock though . . .
knowing that some were pioneers
and crossed the upper Mississippi River on rafts.
The party that went across before them
perished in rough waters
but they made it,
minus one.
My American ancestors
were an integral part of what became know as the Underground Railroad,
risking their lives and families
to help escaping slaves make their way to freedom in the North.
There was also a “ne’er do well” 🙂 great great uncle,
who disappeared in the California gold rush
and was never heard from again.
All of these people and their stories
have contributed to who I am,
both positive and negative,
through the very genes embedded in my DNA.
What a miracle
that I am made of all of these people
and more. ♥
Much appreciation for your ancestors giving us you, Sparrow, and for their contributions to the Underground Railroad. What a wonderful legacy to know about.
From my parents: life skills such as cooking and gardening; a sense of responsibility; a loving upbringing that made me healthy, educated, and with a sense of security and resilience; a belief in the importance and value of kindness and empathy; respect for what they endured growing up during the Depression and my dad’s service in WWII; five siblings.
From my maternal grandmother: knitting, tatting (although I haven’t done that in many years), bowling, fond memories of visiting her, two beloved uncles who are gone now.
From my paternal grandparents: lots of aunts and uncles and my favorite (second) cousin.
From a long line I wish I knew a bit more about: generally good health (although some of my siblings got a troublesome gene that skipped me); an interest in the mythologies of the British Isles where a fair amount of my ancestry is from; good teeth, bad eyesight (correctable when I got cataract surgery), fine straight blonde hair, blue eyes.
My great aunt Nelle
taught me how to tat,
dear Barb . . .
I think it’s an almost lost art.
She received a birthday card from the President
when she turned 100. ♥
On my biological maternal side, a love of family and relationships.
On my paternal side, hard work, education, and more material.
On my step mother’s side, acceptance, strictness, and a sense of making others happy.
“Like father like son” is the original saying. For me, it’s “Like mother like son.” I’m more similar to my mom. She and I are both: positive, love Facebook, and I learned poetry from her.
I share poetry with my two adult daughters in a WhatsApp chat. Many mornings I find one that resonates for me, record it for them and send them the link where they can read it. At one point I hadn’t done that for a while and my older daughter sent a message pointing out that it had been too long without a poem.
Barb, it’s great to have something to leave behind for the next generations. It’s just like me being able to read books in Vietnamese my grampa and parents wrote.
from my Grandmothers – the gift of their special delicious recipes
from my Pop-Pop – the love of keeping my yard nice
ancestors I do not know – my DNA and my love of castles must be from a previous lifetime
TGIF!
Same, Michelle, concerning ancestors. When I was 1.5yrs old, I immigrated to the US. My patrernal grandparents were in Vietnam. My maturnal grampa lived in California until 1999 and returned to Vietnam. My maternal gramma passed away in 1983 from a car crash. Therefore, I never got much of a chance to know my grandparents.
Thanks for sharing Loc. I’m sorry to hear that your Grandmom passed for a car crash, so sad. I’m sure your Mom and Dad love speaking of family memories with them.
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Most of my Ancestors came from Ireland. It was truly a gift for me to visit the country 3 times. My Dad also sent my son and I a huge box or photos and ancestry paperwork. It’s been fun going thru it all . The gifts that stand out for me are the gift of mental Endurance, love of music and love and pride of family
Why am I here?
Since the Fall of Man, life has been difficult, physically, mentally, emotionally, and for most of man’s existence, life threatening. Survival from the environment was a daily challenge. Many didn’t make it. But those that were able to press through the hardships and suffering, did so through sheer determination and will. With their progress, the next generation had to endure a little less. Over time, the threats became fewer and fewer. Better housing was constructed to protect against harsh weather and predators. A better understanding of the body allowed for better treatment of diseases that previously had been a death sentence. Improvements in technology allowed for easier and less hazardous methods to acquire and distribute food. Advancements in engineering led to the development of safer modes of transportation. As each new generation came along, all the grit, determination, and ingenuity the previous generation had acquired and exhibited was passed on.
Why am I here? Because all who came before me, my direct ancestors and others, survived. They overcame. They conquered. They saw the challenge and met it. Today’s life has challenges of it’s own, but they pale in comparison to the challenges of the day to day struggle to survive that my ancestors had to face. By comparison, my life is very, very easy.
But while true, that’s not the real takeaway here. What was in them is in me. What was in them was the Spirit of God (the Mystery as Br. Dave has referred), the source of their strength and their wisdom. That same Spirit is in me. I possess that same source of strength, the same source of wisdom. I may have to apply it differently, but it’s there none the less. With God at my side showing me the way, I can and will survive whatever comes my way! I will face it with courage and determination and I will overcome!
I love the history lesson. I do have one little caveat: Since I work in transportation I view that arc a bit differently. Motor vehicles aren’t actually safer for all of us. True, they offer speed and convenience, and today’s vehicle is safer for the people inside it than the older models. But they’re measurably deadlier for the people who are walking, bicycling, or using a wheelchair or a micromobility device outside the vehicle. I wish it wasn’t left up to the automobile industry to decide to build bigger, heavier vehicles with blunt ends that are more likely to seriously injure or kill on impact and I wish we designed more streets to at least keep the operating speeds down and make them work for people using every mode.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk! 🙂
. . . . . . ever since man learned to harness fire and sharpen a rock . . . . . .
This is a pretty succinct,
powerful,
in-a-nutshell statement
on our evolution as human beings,
dear Ben.
Now I’m wondering where that evolution will take us
into the future . . . (?)
I was thinking the same.
I don’t know a lot about my ancestors. Even my grandparents and I were/aren’t close. My immediate family is also not ideal and has a lot to work on…but my parents did instill the idea of giving me a better life than how they were raised, and I hope someday I can do the same for my kids.
We grow, we change, we learn from the past. I guess the ability to see others mistakes so I don’t make them again is the gift my ancestors have given me.
They gave me life. They showed me how to love.
Resilience, hard work, sacrifice, discipline, curiosity are a few other qualities that come to mind as well.
🕊️♥️
You mean, besides the gift of life? 😁
The love of reading was passed on to me, and I’m grateful for that. I think my curiosity about the world and how things work and the desire to make things and fix things was passed on to me. My sense of humor was definitely passed on to me.
My ability and desire to survive must have come from somewhere. I definitely didn’t get it from my closest relatives. Maybe it skipped a generation.
I’m glad you mentioned reading, Charlie! My mom had been a teacher. She put flashcards all over the house, read to us a lot, and I knew how to read when I started first grade at age 5. A true gift for a lifetime.
🙂
Intuitive clarity, the gifts of drawing and language, a love of athleticism, determination, a sense of justice, a love of adventure. Courage. A musical ear. I have received a lot from my ancestors. My task is to carry these gifts with pride and integrity.
I have a book of old tintypes of some of my ancestors,
mostly from Prussia, Germany, and England . . .
their faded faces beg me to know them,
to remember something of them in my body . . .
my heart knows something of them,
but my brain doesn’t.
I know nothing about their lives in their native countries,
but none of them were rich or famous.
I believe I came from hardy stock though . . .
knowing that some were pioneers
and crossed the upper Mississippi River on rafts.
The party that went across before them
perished in rough waters
but they made it,
minus one.
My American ancestors
were an integral part of what became know as the Underground Railroad,
risking their lives and families
to help escaping slaves make their way to freedom in the North.
There was also a “ne’er do well” 🙂 great great uncle,
who disappeared in the California gold rush
and was never heard from again.
All of these people and their stories
have contributed to who I am,
both positive and negative,
through the very genes embedded in my DNA.
What a miracle
that I am made of all of these people
and more. ♥
Much appreciation for your ancestors giving us you, Sparrow, and for their contributions to the Underground Railroad. What a wonderful legacy to know about.
From my parents: life skills such as cooking and gardening; a sense of responsibility; a loving upbringing that made me healthy, educated, and with a sense of security and resilience; a belief in the importance and value of kindness and empathy; respect for what they endured growing up during the Depression and my dad’s service in WWII; five siblings.
From my maternal grandmother: knitting, tatting (although I haven’t done that in many years), bowling, fond memories of visiting her, two beloved uncles who are gone now.
From my paternal grandparents: lots of aunts and uncles and my favorite (second) cousin.
From a long line I wish I knew a bit more about: generally good health (although some of my siblings got a troublesome gene that skipped me); an interest in the mythologies of the British Isles where a fair amount of my ancestry is from; good teeth, bad eyesight (correctable when I got cataract surgery), fine straight blonde hair, blue eyes.
My great aunt Nelle
taught me how to tat,
dear Barb . . .
I think it’s an almost lost art.
She received a birthday card from the President
when she turned 100. ♥
On my biological maternal side, a love of family and relationships.
On my paternal side, hard work, education, and more material.
On my step mother’s side, acceptance, strictness, and a sense of making others happy.
Life, Love and basically good health. I share Richard Rohr’s reading for today…https://cac.org/daily-meditations/calling-for-good-power/
My ability to speak two languages, my love for being with others, my brown curly hair, and dark and beautiful skin. And for that, I am grateful. 🙏🏽🧡
My Vietnamese Southerner’s voice and my love of singing Cai Luong, our southern traditional music.
My Ngoc, you have a natural sweet voice all-around.
“Like father like son” is the original saying. For me, it’s “Like mother like son.” I’m more similar to my mom. She and I are both: positive, love Facebook, and I learned poetry from her.
I share poetry with my two adult daughters in a WhatsApp chat. Many mornings I find one that resonates for me, record it for them and send them the link where they can read it. At one point I hadn’t done that for a while and my older daughter sent a message pointing out that it had been too long without a poem.
Barb, it’s great to have something to leave behind for the next generations. It’s just like me being able to read books in Vietnamese my grampa and parents wrote.
from my Grandmothers – the gift of their special delicious recipes
from my Pop-Pop – the love of keeping my yard nice
ancestors I do not know – my DNA and my love of castles must be from a previous lifetime
TGIF!
Same, Michelle, concerning ancestors. When I was 1.5yrs old, I immigrated to the US. My patrernal grandparents were in Vietnam. My maturnal grampa lived in California until 1999 and returned to Vietnam. My maternal gramma passed away in 1983 from a car crash. Therefore, I never got much of a chance to know my grandparents.
Thanks for sharing Loc. I’m sorry to hear that your Grandmom passed for a car crash, so sad. I’m sure your Mom and Dad love speaking of family memories with them.
No problem, Michele. They do, my mom especially. My maternal gramma was really gentle and positive.
They gave me life, and the grit to get through hard times.
Same, Laura, when I read my grampa’s memoir months ago in Vietnamese.