What I Know and What I Don't...

Today a girl in our ward who works for the Church in the Family History Library spoke in sacrament meeting. She told stories about some of her ancestors, and made a point that these were people that still existed, just not with us, and that family history was more than records, that it was getting to know the people and helping them do what they can't do for themselves.

It made me think of Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner, and the fact that I don't know anything about any of my ancestors, except a little about Grandpa Web. The fact that I read his journal is the only thing that connects me to him and to his life, besides my memories of him, which are pretty faded now.

When I thought about that I thought then about the fact that I don't know any more about Grandma DeeDee, or feel closer to her for having lived more with her, and I get angry because she had her journals destroyed before she died. If she had to get rid of them, then it was probably because of all the good stories in them. Even if they were unflattering, as long as they were honest, I think I would have felt more connected to her for being able to read them.

I think that's what I was hoping this blog would be, to some extent. I was hoping it would be a running record of our family that we could all share. I thought at the least we'd get the stories that Mom and Dad had been sending as emails from their mission. It hasn't worked out that way. I hope maybe it still can. I think we need to write things down more, and share them more. I think we'd feel closer to each other.