Why We Are Motivated To Research Family History

THE STORYTELLERS

We are the chosen. In each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors – to put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story, and to feel that somehow they know and approve.

To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before.

We are the storytellers of the tribe. All tribes have one.

We have been called by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: tell our story. So we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors you have a wonderful family you would be proud of us? How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me?

I cannot say.

It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do. It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying I can’t let this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a Nation.

It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us. So, as a scribe is called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers.

That is why I do genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones.

This above poem is variously attributed to Tom Dunn (editor), Melody Hall (editor), Della M. Cummings Wright (author), Della’s granddaughter Della JoAnn McGinnis Johnson (rewritten), and that great provider of all works of literature we don’t know the provenance for, Anonymous.   – Attribution, comments, and published to the Internet by “wanderernolonger.”

DJ's personal note: Some years back a close relative remarked -- "...you seem to care more about the dead than those of us who are living." I admittedly was taken back a bit but did not reply. Well... it's an untrue statement.  I feel this unfortunate thoughtless opinion lacks logical refinement.  But, it is likely not unique among many folks in the general population. Distant cousin Ann Stanton recently called our attention to Ms. Wright's above-cited poem on storytelling. Her written work conveys the accurate family genealogist's feeling and the true mission we follow as those many miles traveled take us to visit new and ancient burial grounds both near and far. We the storytellers know today that a curious unknowable descendant perhaps in many future years -- scores from this day -- will strongly appreciate the genealogical work we now do.  I'm confident they will pick up this duty-bound storyteller mission and expand our work with new and improved ancestry history research.  djp