I don’t recall anyone in my family named Lucky or, for that matter, anyone that was particularly lucky.  However, I can think of dozens of people who were and are hard-working, honest, salt-of-the-earth folks.

I was fortunate enough to have loving and supportive parents who always believed in and encouraged me.  I have sisters that are funny, compassionate, selfless people who are always willing to help someone in need.  I was blessed to have an older brother who had an amazing sense of humor, he was buried wearing Groucho Marx glasses because he just had to make us laugh one last time.  He had an imagination and talent for innovation that wouldn’t quit and a love for “his girls” that was all encompassing.

I “inherited” children and grandchildren when I married my husband and couldn’t love them more.  They’ve given me such joy over the last 22 years.  The many strands that make up the fabric of my family, both past and present, create a tapestry of love and blessings.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Over the 40+ years that I have been researching my family I have been what some might call lucky, I prefer to think of it as working hard, asking questions, and a good instinct for where to look for  information.  I have innumerable treasures that have been entrusted to my care by family all over the U. S.  My belief is that if you love the people you are researching, that love is rewarded.

Whether through luck, fate, chance, odds, or divine intervention, I’ve found long lost family and family we never knew existed.  The most special discovery of all was that of my cousin, MJ and her Daddy, George.

Through DNA testing I discovered the older brother we never knew my Daddy had.  What a wonderful discovery that was! How exciting it was to see pictures of my Uncle George and see my Daddy smiling back at me.  I only wish I’d found him sooner but we believe that Uncle George was waiting to greet his little brother when Daddy passed away a month after making this joyous discovery.

So, while some may think that successful genealogy research consists of luck, I believe it really comes down to love, patience, and being blessed.

#52ancestors

Whispers from the Past…..