Dear Ancestors,

I am certain that I do not have to introduce myself, but I feel some formalities are in order. I am you, all together, in one form; I thought I would take this opportunity to talk to you since you all have formed and molded my life in ways I am only now beginning to understand.

I am a genealogist by nature – puzzles of where I came from fascinate me – and love being part of the genealogist community at large. I say this because I came across an unattributed quote that said:

“Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. ‘Be Still’ they say. ‘Watch and listen, you are the result of the love of thousands.’”

Often in modern life, we go through our ives thinking we are carving a path of our own, that is unique to us and dependent entirely on our own actions. Jefferson’s rugged individualism is alive and well, that is for sure. However, after seeing this quote, I realized that the path I take is paved with your hopes, fears, dreams, labors and loves. I owe you all a debt that I cannot repay. Thank you.

You are probably wondering why I write this specifically to you, not to my living relatives and deceased ones whom I knew. The answer is simple: At some point or another I had the chance and will be given the chance to say thank you, but I never got that chance with you. I never got to know the way you talked or walked. I’m unaware to your mannerisms and quirks. We never got the chance to meet, in person that is.

You see, I feel that we have met while I have been alive. I meet you in the way my mother says I sound like Great-Grandpa Willis or when my grandmother says I read the newspaper the same way Grandpa Harold did. I know you when I read documents of David Greenleaf’s service in the Revolutionary War and I see my sense of civic duty. I see my grandmother’s grandparents in my faith: You prayed the rosary every morning before dawn, and I carry that same faith in Christ today. We may have never gotten the chance to see each other face to face, give each other a hug and say I love you, but that does not mean that we do not say it still.

I recently went and visited the cemeteries where many of you rest forever. Of the dozens of graves I visited, I had met five of you. When I was there, I left a flower and said a prayer, and while I was doing that, the quote I brought up earlier made perfect sense. No matter where I go in life, I can thank you for it, but a simple thank you is not enough. I felt the love of thousands descend upon me and prop me up, supporting me in the grand adventure of life. So I say, "I love you, too.” That’s what family is all about: God brought us together, and no man or death shall tear us asunder.

Sincerely,

Your Grandson