Take Note

I went here this weekend. Do you see that half-eaten pastry on the plate? Well, it did not stay that way for long. It was one of the best breakfast pastries I have eaten in a long time. It was a croissant cinnamon bun and it was made in-house. If you live in Chicago you should check this place out. The space is nice and open so you can relax and stay awhile.

Do you know a lot about your family history? I do not. I can probably take you back three generations and that is it. I was talking to my sister about certain family gossip and she said she was not sure, I should ask our Mom. So, I called my Mom and asked her to gather all of her paperwork and meet me for coffee. The reason I did this is that I do not want to regret never asking my Mom questions while she is alive. Not that I think she will be departing anytime soon, but I want to get all the information now while it is still fresh in her mind. My Great-Grandmother died when I was twelve. She was in her nineties, but she died from unnecessary medical treatments. She was the only sibling that did not live into her hundreds. I clearly remember her and some of her stories, but I wish that I had known her at an older age so that I could ask her more about her life.

So, I sat there with my Mom asking her all types of questions about our relatives. Her side going from Hawaii back to China and my father's side going back to the south and then back to Africa. There is also one more branch that needs to be investigated further and that is the branch that goes back to Ireland. I guess that I am lucky we have as much documented information as we have. It is rather fascinating. I want to know it all. I want to know where we came from and who made us what we are today. One twig on my Mom's tree...not so wholesome. Not that it bothers me. You can't change the past and you don't know what made that person do whatever they did. I just find it intriguing. One of my Mom's Grandfather's had to leave China because of his labor rights protesting. His future wife left because they were getting ready to bind her feet. They did not meet in China, but in Hawaii. My Dad's side has a lot of preachers and ministers. Really? Well, I didn't say they were pious, I just said they were men of the cloth. I have some of the information regarding slavery and ownership. There is one piece that does not make sense and is supposed to lead back to Ireland. I feel that I have a great starting point and I cannot wait to see what I am able to find out.

I want to nudge you to be the keeper of the family history for your family. Start now with the elders before it is too late. Preserve your history.