If you’ve ever celebrated Thanksgiving in America, you are likely to have heard this song:
Over the river and through the woods,
To grandmother’s house we go.
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow, O!
All my life, I’ve been told that I’m related to the woman who wrote these words. Her name is Lydia Marie Child (1802-1880). And while I love the idea of being related to her, I wasn’t completely convinced of this fact without doing a bit of geneology research on my own.
I dove into the task thinking, “this should be simple.” With resources like Family Tree Maker and ancestry.com, how hard could this be? Within two generations, I was already sure of my ties to the Child family name (for those who know me well, I can hear you snickering). But as I climbed further up the tree, the exponentially increasing branches soon had me quite light headed.
A dear relative, Betsy, who has done scores of geneology research, helped me find just the branch I was looking for. Now, I know for sure. I’m related to Lydia Marie Child. And with that new found knowledge, came a surge of inspiration and a personal challenge. For as I read more about my ancestor, I came to know a courageous woman. A published author in the 1800’s and a brave abolitionist, she joined the anti-slavery movement when it was dangerous to do so. Her strength and resolution to do what was right, no matter how unpopular or difficult the task, cast an interesting perspective on my own life.
Would I have been as courageous if I had lived in 1800’s? Today, when I’m up against difficult challenges, I think, “Glenda, you’ve got Marie’s blood in your veins, don’t let her down!”
Little did I know that my quest to convince myself of my relationship to the this women would inspire me so. Now I’m off to download Marie’s first published novel in ebook format. God, I love the internet!
I was not snickering… Just a big, happy smile… Oh wait, is that a snicker or just a smile? What would Ms. Child thought of the Internet, and her novel in ebook format. Happy T-day!
Hi darling! How fun! I always knew you came from greatness. Speaking of family trees, they are SO visually confusing. They frustrate my need to see the whole picture becuase they are so unrepentantly pyramidish. My friend Lara and I have been wondering if Think Map might be a tool to use to help make some sense of them. Have we had this conversation arleady? Are the programs you used visually useful and fun?
Oh Troy, I so adore the way you think! The program I’m using, Family Tree Maker, is nice for the price. I got the software free with a book on researching ancestry. It is helpful…but your idea for a Think Map type interface is exactly what we need!
Wait until I reveal the other interesting people I’ve discovered in those branches.