Hello. Since my father’s passing, I have had time to think about the importance of family in my life. During those painful days following his sudden passing, my mother, sister, brother, and I were comforted, supported, and encouraged by friends, community, and family. The outpouring from everyone was truly amazing and quite humbling. For that, I thank you and them from the bottom of my heart.
Dad always believed that faith, family, and friends were the three most important things in life. Being a father myself, I am beginning to understand. In every conceivable manner, family is the link to our past and the bridge to our future. Memories of departed loved ones are some of my most cherished possessions. Sadly, so many of our beloved family members have passed on and all that we have are these memories. But these memories are the strength that allows us to go on, to live our lives and to make new memories. Father’s Day just passed. For my brother, my sister, my mother, and myself, the holiday was different. Now, rather than sharing gifts with dad, we share memories about him. Vigilantly, we will keep that fire kindled so his memory, and the memory of all our dearly departed, may never be extinguished by time.
Over the years, our family has grown and extended. We have married, moved, resettled, and taken root yet again. As we manage with the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, finding opportunities for quiet time to think about with what really matters can be very difficult. I fear that we will lose sight of what really matters most. Family.
I am doing this for a simple reason: I want the memories of our beloved family to carry on to future generations, for my children to know who they are and where they came from.
For some time, I have been gathering information on our family. I am now attempting to put together a genealogy of the extended family. Life has been very busy and I have not been able to accomplish much, but my father’s passing has put a great deal of urgency back into the project.
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