We are the Chosen by unknown

[Matty]

Agnes,

Another lovely verse and how true it is, thank you for sharing it with us all

Matty

another to print off -- our walls will be full!

[MarieC]

Yes, Agnes, that's lovely!

I do feel that it is a real responsibility, and I take it very seriously.  I am doing my absolute best for succeeding generations.

MarieC

[Mobo]

Doing genealogy is not a cold  gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone  before.  We are the storytellers of the tribe.  All tribes have  one.  We have been called, as it were, by our genes.  Those who have  gone before cry out to us, "Tell our story!" So, we  do.

In finding them, we somehow find ourselves.  How many graves  have I stood before now and cried?  I have lost count.  How many times have I told the ancestors, "You have a wonderful family; you would be proud of  us."  How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was  love there for me?  I cannot say.

It goes beyond just  documenting facts.  It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I  do.  It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and  indifference and saying, "I can't let this happen."  The bones here are  bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh.  It goes to doing something about  it.  It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish, how  they contributed to what we are today.  It goes to respecting their  hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to  go on and build a life for their family.

It goes to deep pride that  the fathers fought and some died to make and keep us a Nation.  It goes to  a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us.  It is of  equal pride and love that our mothers struggled to give us birth.  Without  them we could not exist, and so we love each one, as far back as we can  reach.

That we might be born who we are.  That we might remember  them.  So.we do.
With love and caring and scribing each fact of  their existence, because we are they and they are the sum of who we are. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family.  It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take my place in the  long line of family storytellers.

That is why I do my family  genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and restore the  memory or greet those whom we had never known before.

 

So very very true Audrey - how moving.  What a shame we don't know who wrote it.

 

[Guy Etchells]

If you use it please attribute it to the correct author Della M Cummings in around 1943 not Lloyd Ray Timmons, Sr.

Cheers
Guy

I have modified this posting as only half of it appeared for some strange reason.

[Mobo]

We are the chosen.  In each family  there is one who seems called to find the ancestors.  To put flesh on their  bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that  somehow they know and approve.

Doing genealogy is not a cold  gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone  before.  We are the storytellers of the tribe.  All tribes have  one.  We have been called, as it were, by our genes.  Those who have  gone before cry out to us, "Tell our story!"   So, we  do.

In finding them, we somehow find ourselves.  How many graves  have I stood before now and cried?  I have lost count.  How many times  have I told the ancestors, "You have a wonderful family; you would be proud of  us."  How many
times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was  love there for me? 
I cannot say.

It goes beyond just  documenting facts.  It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I  do.  It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and  indifference and saying, "I can't let this happen."  The bones here are  bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh.  It goes to doing something about  it.  It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish, how they contributed to what we are today.  It goes to respecting their  hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to  go on and build a life for their family.

It goes to deep pride that  the fathers fought and some died to make and keep us a Nation.  It goes to  a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us.  It is of  equal pride and love that our mothers struggled to
give us birth.  Without  them we could not exist, and so we love each one, as far back as we can  reach.

That we might be born who we are.  That we might remember  them.  So.we do.

With love and caring and scribing each fact of  their existence, because we are they and they are the sum of who we are.   So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family.  It is up to that  one called in the next generation to answer the call and take my place in the  long line of family storytellers.

That is why I do my family  genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and restore the  memory or greet those whom we had never known before.

-Author Unknown

audrey

WHOOPS !! silly me, I missed a bit - smacked hands !! 

[kirstie]

hope no one minds my sharing this with you read this today on a web site



We are the chosen. My feeling is that in each family there is one who
 seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make
 them live again. To tell the family story and to feel that somehow those
 who went before know and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold
 gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone
 before. We are the storytellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We
 have been called as if it were in our genes. Those who have gone before
cry out to us; Tell our story. So, we do.

In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I
 stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I
told  my ancestors, "You have a wonderful family; you would be proud of us."?
How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love
there for me? I cannot say.

It goes beyond just documenting the facts. It goes to who I am, and
why I do the things I do. It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost
forever to weeds and indifference, and saying I can't let this happen. The bones
 here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing
something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish.
 How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their
 hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their
resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that
they fought to make and keep us a nation. It goes to a deep and immense
 understanding that they were doing it for us, that we might be born who we
 are, that we might remember them. So we do.

With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence,
because we are them and they are us. I tell the story of my family. It is up to
 that one called in the next generation, to answer the call and take their
 place in the long line of family storytellers. That is why I do my family
 genealogy, and that is what call those, young and old, to step up and put
 flesh on the bones.

kirstiex   



Moderator Comment:  topics merged

[Lloydy]

I tell the story of my family. It is up to
that one called in the next generation, to answer the call and take their
place in the long line of family storytellers. That is why I do my family
genealogy, and that is what call those, young and old, to step up and put
flesh on the bones.

I'm wondering who I will be able to pass on my research to when I'm gone.  My children have no interest in our family tree, and as I have no brothers or sisters, I have no-one else   I just hope I can persuade my daughter to at least keep all my hard work, CD's, photos, certificates etc in a safe place........maybe she will change her mind (one day!).

[joboy]

I am exactly in your position Jan ....... no siblings and no children or grandchildren who show any interest at this stage.
It's all on record though so that if one day, when I have departed this mortal coil, someone will make use of it ....... at least I hope so.
joboy

[KathyM]

A little suggestion......if you have no-one (at the moment) who seems interested in taking over your interest in your family's history - why not put together a copy of everything on a CD or in a file and donate it to your local family history society - or even the County Archives.  There it will be safe at least.......imagine if an ancestor of your had done this a hundred years ago !