I have been researching my family history since my teens — so more than 30 years, if anyone is counting. I rejoice in adding family connections to the people whom I lost through death: my mother died with no memory of her mother, my grandmother; my paternal grandmother's mother died when she was 14; her father died when she was 18; I lost my paternal grandfather when I was 6. Just these "recent" losses in the 1900s bring my own sense of parenting and grandparenting to an appreciative awareness, and particularly, love. Each grandchild's spoken thought reflecting their loves/hates of their gramma experiences surprise me because I have little experience in that area. So I LAUGH and make new memories with them. I love them so well.

I have been researching my family history since my teens — so more than 30 years, if anyone is counting. I rejoice in adding family connections to the people whom I lost through death: my mother died with no memory of her mother, my grandmother; my paternal grandmother's mother died when she was 14; her father died when she was 18; I lost my paternal grandfather when I was 6. Just these "recent" losses in the 1900s bring my own sense of parenting and grandparenting to an appreciative awareness, and particularly, love. Each grandchild's spoken thought reflecting their loves/hates of their gramma experiences surprise me because I have little experience in that area. So I LAUGH and make new memories with them. I love them so well.