*originally written Nov 12, 2018
Week 4: Today I’m currently sitting in my living room in front of my own bookcases. The library is closed in observance of Veteran’s Day. As someone who enjoys learning from the past and tracing my family roots, I am humbled by those in my family tree who gave of their time, sacrificed years of their children’s growing, and even gave the ultimate sacrifice. I see the connections in my family tree from one generation to the next and realize how we all fit together over hundreds of years. Have you ever pondered the fact that if one particular person had died before that one particular child was born that you wouldn’t be here? Wow. Have you ever stood over the grave of someone you’ve never met and whispered a sincere “thank you”? These are the things I think of while researching my family history.
This past weekend I was blessed to spend time with living, breathing veterans who served this great nation. I was blessed to visit with an amazing woman who currently has 98 years of history stored within her in the form of wisdom, lessons learned, and family history. Many people in my family were able to share memories of a veteran no longer with us as we remembered how a grandfather and grandmother took time to make special memories for their grandchildren. There were cheeseburgers in the kitchen, lingering around the familiar table, a tour through the old basement, and some knocking around in the shed that still smells like it has for the last 50+ years (or so I’m told).
If you read my post from last week, you might remember my story about the puzzle pieces and the completed puzzles. This week has been full of things seen and spoken that have been reminders and confirmations of my vision last Monday. Imagine when we went to visit Grandma’s new apartment and right outside her door is a visiting area with tables covered in puzzle pieces and the walls are lined, not with regular, run-of-the-mill pictures, but with completed puzzles.
As I look back with warmth and nostaligia at the connections in my past that have brought me to this point in my life, I also look forward to a picture that I can’t even imagine yet, but I look ahead with anticipation and excitement knowing that what is to come is built on a firm foundation of love and richness over many generations; one piece, one connection, at a time.
Read Puzzles & Visions: Part 1 here…
Reset & Restore 