About Those Family Stories
Yeah, we've all got them. Those tales that grandma used to tell about being descendants of Robin Hood, and my grandfather's steadfast insistence that we were of Clan MacNaughton, are the ones that stick out for me. Most every family has its narratives, and many of them include myths and legends that are nearly impossible to verify. And as with most myths and legends, there is probably some kernel of truth somewhere within it, but what that truth is and how much its been obscured in the countless tellings and retellings...
What those tales really are might be best described as identity totems. They are part of what we hold in the fabric of our family memory and story, and help us in how we describe ourselves. And as we dive into the deeper research of genealogy, we run the risk of unraveling that tapestry.
It is important to realize that we are still who we are, whether or not those stories are 100% factually accurate. Learning that an ancestor was not all they were cracked up to be, didn't do the things they said they did, or in fact wasn't an actual ancestor at all can be a bit traumatic, but it does not change who we are, nor does it untwist any of the DNA with which we came into this world.
For me the fascination comes as much from the connection with living relatives who share a piece of our ancestry. To learn what has been handed down in their family, and sharing little bits and pieces of the stories we've each kept brings those ancestors into a deeper relief. Maybe in some small way that allows us to feel a little closer to them, or at least gives a little insight into the lives they actually led, in the very different times in which they lived.
I've written about some of those kinds of stories in my blog on my music website, if you'd like a browse.
"All Souls Day" - a holiday my family never celebrated has taken on special meaning in recent years.
"A Trip Back in Time (By the Time We Got to Woodstock)" - a journey with mom to her dad's hometown in western New Brunswick, a place that was a near-total mystery to both of us.
"Uncovering Musical Jewels in the Family History" - a lifelong quest to learn about my grandfather's "black sheep" sister Margaret, the opera singer.
From my 2017 visit to Ireland and Scotland with my nuclear family!
"What a Year Can Bring" - reflecting over the Atlantic about how this whole improbable journey wound up with the four of us flying back in time.
"An Ancestory in Scotland" - meeting a new cousin in Scotland, who led us to my 2G grandparents unmarked grave.
"The Genes and the Gift" - a visit to the town our McKnight family traces to in the 1830s resulted in a most amazing gift indeed!
"That Story Before Appomattox" - about meeting my dad's 2G grandfather Aretas Culver, the Civil War veteran who died after being paroled from the POW camp at Andersonville.
"In the Footsteps of Ghosts" - retracing his footsteps, one cold January day at Antietam National Battlefield.
And finally from some amazing experiences with second cousins here in my own house, "A Family Union" and
"Thanking the Ancestors".
What those tales really are might be best described as identity totems. They are part of what we hold in the fabric of our family memory and story, and help us in how we describe ourselves. And as we dive into the deeper research of genealogy, we run the risk of unraveling that tapestry.
It is important to realize that we are still who we are, whether or not those stories are 100% factually accurate. Learning that an ancestor was not all they were cracked up to be, didn't do the things they said they did, or in fact wasn't an actual ancestor at all can be a bit traumatic, but it does not change who we are, nor does it untwist any of the DNA with which we came into this world.
For me the fascination comes as much from the connection with living relatives who share a piece of our ancestry. To learn what has been handed down in their family, and sharing little bits and pieces of the stories we've each kept brings those ancestors into a deeper relief. Maybe in some small way that allows us to feel a little closer to them, or at least gives a little insight into the lives they actually led, in the very different times in which they lived.
I've written about some of those kinds of stories in my blog on my music website, if you'd like a browse.
"All Souls Day" - a holiday my family never celebrated has taken on special meaning in recent years.
"A Trip Back in Time (By the Time We Got to Woodstock)" - a journey with mom to her dad's hometown in western New Brunswick, a place that was a near-total mystery to both of us.
"Uncovering Musical Jewels in the Family History" - a lifelong quest to learn about my grandfather's "black sheep" sister Margaret, the opera singer.
From my 2017 visit to Ireland and Scotland with my nuclear family!
"What a Year Can Bring" - reflecting over the Atlantic about how this whole improbable journey wound up with the four of us flying back in time.
"An Ancestory in Scotland" - meeting a new cousin in Scotland, who led us to my 2G grandparents unmarked grave.
"The Genes and the Gift" - a visit to the town our McKnight family traces to in the 1830s resulted in a most amazing gift indeed!
"That Story Before Appomattox" - about meeting my dad's 2G grandfather Aretas Culver, the Civil War veteran who died after being paroled from the POW camp at Andersonville.
"In the Footsteps of Ghosts" - retracing his footsteps, one cold January day at Antietam National Battlefield.
And finally from some amazing experiences with second cousins here in my own house, "A Family Union" and
"Thanking the Ancestors".
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