Discovering Family - Good, Better, Best

You might remember that I wrote on March 14 about the Girl Scout Council of SE Florida presenting an award created in my mother's name to a deserving local Girl Scout leader.  (http://alwaysonmymindforeverinmyheart.blogspot.com/2014/03/building-girls-of-courage.html)
The award was presented at a luncheon I co-chaired on May 10. Four other very deserving women received recognition for their accomplishments in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics - careers that have traditionally been filled with men, but these women have broken through that glass ceiling.

What was already a GOOD day was made BETTER by the recognition of the exceptional Girl Scout leader in memory of Mom, my leader. The recipient has found perfect balance in caring for both her family and the girls entrusted to her care.

What made the BETTER day BEST, was being totally surprised when my brother from Texas, my cousins from Colorado and my sister from Titusville, Fla. traveled all that distance to be here, because they, along with my husband, my son and his wife, wanted to be a part of the celebration of my mother's memory and her role as a Girl Scout leader.

To make a long story short, my cousin and I do not know each other, but I recognized her immediately - thanks to our Facebook friendship we began soon after Mother passed away.

After the luncheon, we all went back to our house and began a six-day marathon of remembering Mom and Daddy, aunts and uncles, grandparents, old neighborhoods and more. With other cousins (some I also do not know) posting old photographs to Facebook, my cousin, her husband, my brother and me would sometimes sit at the kitchen table with our electronic devices and, together, look at and discuss those postings, which prompted more memories coming forward. It was fabulous!

How funny is this? Truly, we're all looking at photos being posted on Facebook. You can't beat technology!

One afternoon we sat with a box full of old photos spread out over the entire dining room tabletop and looked at each and everyone of them. My dad had made the task slightly easier; he had written on the backs of some of them. But there were still many that I've looked at time and time, again, and had no idea who was in the picture. Thanks to my cousin, photos of my grandparents and great grandparents were discovered and identified - even photos of my grandfather's family were in the box (he passed away when my mother was a young child).

For me, though, the pièce de résistance was when I found a photo of me sitting next to my grandmother (Mom's mother) with her arm around me and a baby in her lap. Although we don't know who that baby is, it's the only photo there is of me with Gramma! She passed away on my third birthday as we were having a 'pretend' tea party; my only memory of her.
The photo was an amazing discovery.

A few months ago, I mentioned to someone that I wasn't finding joy in much of anything these days. Not since Sept. 26, 2012 have I enjoyed anything like I enjoyed this past week. Connecting and reconnecting with "lost" and known family, listening to stories and learning more about my own past is - to me - priceless.

 I think it was the therapy I didn't know I needed.

My brother is planning a Cousin Union in Texas next year, and I can't wait. We can't actually call it a reunion, since many of us have never met.
I already know of a few cousins who are making plans to be there, and I can't wait.
Did I mention - I can't wait?
Some of the newly identified pictures from that old box will be a welcome sight to many.
I look forward to another great week of discovering family.

Mom, how much fun did you have this past week? WOW!