My Story, Our Story: Teardrops & Rainbows

[Zelley]

The River of Teardrops & the Rainbow of Hope:  By B W Zelley

As each one of us travels down the genealogy highway.
our paths may cross when we enter the "forest of trees".
Our branches merge and join.  We will never scale our
own tree top, but our only task is to leave a clear set of markers for those that reach the same branch.

Looking back to my starting gate in 1989 while travelling along this never ending journey. it has been filled with a
collection of stories from near and far away.

Some of my direct connections in places like London, Weymouth, and other places in Canada, Australia and Wales include:
Baker, Emery, Kyne, Lewis, Lovell, Mabb, Magee,
Phillips, Smith, Vallance,White, Woods,  Zelley and more.

Each new discovery leads to a fresh chapter of old stories
and activities of today and tomorrow. Sadly, some stories are about the untimely passing of distant cousins and other
kinfolk.  A few of the names in my symbolic "weeping tree"
include those lost in WW I and II.  Some examples are:
Lilian Primrose Selley, Edward (Ted) Godbold and
John (Jack) Phillips.  Then there were the tragedies of the lost children - the symbolic, green leaves.  One example is
young Herbert John Zelley (1897) - killed by a fallen
oak tree that crashed onto the house during a storm.
And, the echoes of the storm continue in many forms.

Although the "river of tears" teardrop by lonely teardrop can never wash away the pain and sorrow, after each storm
a "rainbow of hope" appears.

Picture: watching & waiting for the rainbow of hope and
future days and the journey of discovery in the
"forest of family trees".

[Zelley]

I welcome input or comments from others,

[Zelley]

Searching for our many branches and scattered leaves is not always a "walk in the park".  But nobody said it would be easy.
In fact, at times, we may feel we are trapped in a swamp.
But, if we watch and wait long enough, the swamp will be drained.

And what fertile ground will we find as we begin again in
search of something that we are not sure of.   Whatever we find  should be worth the cost of the journey.  But, for all, it is a never ending journey and the results are priceless.

[CarolBurns]

So true Zelley

Lovely way of putting our journey through the woods

Carol

[Zelley]

Thanks Corol

And the open-ended question for all:
As we take our turn lost beneath the dark clouds,
will we open our eyes in search of the rainbow of hope?

[CarolBurns]

I'm always looking for the Rainbow of Hope Zelley

I love the challenges this gives you and also the brick walls don't seem half as high when you sit and rest for a while to think

Carol

[Zelley]

I'm always looking for the Rainbow of Hope Zelley

I love the challenges this gives you and also the brick walls don't seem half as high when you sit and rest for a while to think

Carol

And, what family treasures are found at the end of the rainbow?