For my birthday, I received a card from my grandmother. Inside was not the traditional five dollar check that most grandmothers send, but an article that she cut out from a magazine. I don't remember the author of the article or the publication, but the sentiment behind the article has been with me ever since I read it. The author was making an observation on one of the many roles of a mother, one that might be overlooked or unrealized by most people. He said that mothers are the historians of their children's lives. We give them a sense of where they came from so that they can know where to go in life.
I started thinking about the importance of knowing my own family history, knowing "where I came from," even though there are parts that I might not necessarily want to acknowledge all of the time. I am grateful for all of the stories of scandal and southern color that have enriched my life, and I have a deep pride for my family heritage. I realize that I want to give my children the same amount of pride and a strong foundation of knowing who they are before they can discover who they will be in the future.
That being said, I would like to start documenting my family's history as I know it. I will require a lot of help, since my memory is not as good as it should be. I know that there are some things that only I can tell, personal experiences that are unique to what I went through. There are other stories that are not mine to tell, and I will leave those out of the project. I want my children to know who Jernigan was, and Aunt Lula Mae, and Sonny with his greasy hair and ukulele. These stories are like precious gems in my memory and I would like to give that gift to my children.
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6 comments:
Don't forget B.V. Teddie and Skinny Minnie.
I think that's a great idea. You should put the stories into short essays ala David Sedaris. That's what Jon's doing with his stories (of which the porcelain goat and car cigarette lighter are my fav).
I can't wait to read them!
Teedie? not Teddie. That's like a teddy bear.
I will definitely not forget them. Let me know if you think of any more. I might help Mark do his side of the family history as well, because he as a great story about Skinville.
I think it is a great idea. I read a book called "The Way of my Grandmothers" that was one woman's story growing up on a reservation. She grew up with so many rich stories and realized that, now as a grown woman, it was her responsibility to make sure others are able to hear these stories that had been largely passed down orally.
There are times that I completely rebuke the past's hand in the future, and there are other times when I can't deny it.
Anywho, good luck with it. Has Mark referred to you as his Baby's Mama yet? Have you called him your Baby's Daddy? If not, try it out.
Okay, I'm a self-confessed genealogy nerd. And I know you're not necessarily talking about family trees and stuff, but if you want to do any genealogy research, I've got a few pointers.
Yeah, most of my folks were the stoic farmer types. I've only got a couple of good stories out of 'em.
You should post anything you write on here so we can read it.
Thanks Lauren. I think I will have to do some research just to make sure that the stories I heard were historically accurate. I started writing down all of my stories and realized that I can't think of many. I will need a lot more help than I thought I would.
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