It is taken from the book "Voices in your blood" by G.G. Vandagriff. She
writes:" "Discovering your heritage is a homecoming in the truest sense. The
entity that we call "me" is the most recent chapter in a long line of stories,
the stories belonging to those who make up our pedigree. Our ancestors have met
life's challenges in their own particular ways and in doing so have bequeathed to each
of us a uniquely individual heritage. Part of that heritage contains burdens that are
difficult and part of it contains our richest blessings. We all have a past. Down
through the ages there was a love, a love between people of different places, different
tongues and different times. That love ultimately created the person that is you. Every
name tells a different story. You have thousands of stories in you. Though I have never
known these people, I am a part of their posterity, and they have left a rich inheritance
for me. Lastly, perhaps the most important thing that happens to !
us when we claimour lost heritage is that we gain a unique perspective; we begin to
understand what it is to be human, what it is to live a life where we learn from
experiences - grief, sorrow, pain, joy, success, pride and triumph. Entering into our
ancestors' emotions, by proxy as it were, we grow in charity and self-knowledge and
lessen in fear.."
ent to be by a genealogy friend and I wanted to share this with all of you for your
kindness to me and your help.
Lynn Hilty Sewell