Excited by the Anticipation

In only a matter of weeks, I'll be meeting some of my cousins for the first time, and I can't even begin to explain how exciting this is. For the past year I've had the privilege of getting to know one of my cousins whom my husband and I visited in November, and recently I've been getting to know others - thanks to Facebook.

Some of the cousins, back in the days of yore, with Gramma.

Actually it's Facebook and Ancestry.com that have brought us together. Social media, used for the common good, is a great thing.

My older sister has been researching some of our family's history - on our mother's side. (Dad's is next.) I've been compiling her found statistics for a family tree. And even my brother has gotten in on the fun of learning about our past, by contacting genealogists in Southern Illinois.. (Thank goodness we haven't uncovered any serial killers.) With very click of the mouse, with every keystroke entered and with every response, I feel closer than ever to Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother and Great-Great-Grandmother.

My mother's parents

In her excitement, my sister reminded me, "Do you realize that Abraham Lincoln wasn't even president, yet?"

It's amazing to learn how our ancestors made a living, how many times they were married and how many children they had. I sometimes sit and fantasize about their lives and how they survived without the comforts of electricity, air-conditioning, fast transportation, modern washing machines, telephones and more.

But I also think about how simple - how local - everything was. There was no such thing as a global economy. Supporting local businesses meant local families could pay their local bills and have local food on the table. It meant everyone in the "hood" took care of each other, without any worry of a lawsuit. It was a time when everyone was accountable for his or her own actions or lack of action and took responsibility for their behavior.

I remember stories my dad told about his childhood and how he would leave the house in the morning and fill his day with friends, swimming, etc., and not come home until dinner. It was safe; life was safe.

I'm thrilled at this opportunity to meet new-to-me cousins. I wish more could join us, but perhaps they'll see our photos on Facebook in a few weeks and decide, "I'd better be there next time." For sure, we'll be posting, tweeting and selfie-ing the whole time we're together.

Oh, Mother, how I wish you were here to see this. You'd be thrilled.
I love and miss you, both.