From the desk to Teresa Jordan, Executive Director – I read the greatest quote today, “Be a good ancestor” ~ Marian Wright Edelman. Let that sink in for a moment. This is heavy … this is long after your sojourn on earth is through. This is the kind of thinking that requires a quiet span of non-interrupted time … and perhaps some candy.
This is not about our improvement or the immediate work of a great thing … it is so much more. It’s about leaving an indelible mark, a legacy that will last through time.
I love family history, and what I have learned is that while most older tomb markers say “Gone, but not forgotten” very often it is in my research that I am reminding my elders of family connections – the connections which they had never known about or simply forgotten.
My introductory quote also makes me think about the word ‘ancestor’. It’s not referring to being a great figure of history or a heroine of mankind … it is more intimate, speaking of a family bond, a moment in the DNA of millions connected by family … and moment to shine, to add something to the earth and to the family.
They say that many First Nations cultures make decisions not on the here and now, but on the impact of seven generations from now. Equally heavy, more candy required.
This all just reminds us that we are here for a brief time. We can make a big difference in small ways and, 200 years from now, people might say, “and that, believe it or not, was my great great great great grandmother.”
Very cool.
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