Family Ties

As we prepare as a family for our weekend Youth Trek experience, we were asked to find a story from our family history to share.  I asked the kids if they remembered one they like and would like to take with them.  (We are all going, but won't be together, as the kids are in different "trek families" and Genius Golfer and I are 'grandparents" in yet another group.)

The Girl quickly responded that she wanted to take the story of her long-ago-grandma who came from Finland as a 'mail order bride".  Great!  That is one of my favorites too.  I have that written down and even on the computer, so I printed it up fro her, adding how many "greats" Grandma Mary was to The Girl.

The Boy said he wasn't sure.  So I asked him if he remembered me telling the story of the Grandpa (a few greats back) that was nearly washed overboard on the ship to America and how he was saved by the woman who eventually wold be his mother in law?  "Sure!" he said, "I don't remember that story."  So I retold him and found it on the computer as well.  I printed it out for him and helped him pronounce the names--they are German--as best as we could.

I have a couple of stories that I love from my family history to share with our Trek-kids.  Of course, my experience with my great-grandparents and their sauna when I was about 8 years old.  That is a family classic! 

And then I started thinking about the LDS pioneer stories.  They weren't always big miracles that build their faith, but regular small patterns repeated to become habits.  So I recalled another story about a great-great-grandmother and her wisdom shared with her grand daughter about keeping her house clean in case anyone comes over so she wouldn't worry about a dirty house, but could just enjoy their company.  Considering me post yesterday, I could use more reflection on that philosophy.


Then I asked GG what story from his family he'd like to share.  He said he didn't have any.  I disagreed, and told him he even has pioneer stories from one branch of his family.  He still didn't think of anything.  In fact, he told me that since I had so many in my family that I should share more and he will listen to them quietly.

I guess that just goes to show that family stories and traditions only last when they are shared.  And writing a book, as GG's Grandpa Woolley did about his family's genealogy, doesn't make your stories any more heart warming or tender.  For family traditions and stories to become beloved, you have to love them yourself first.  Then you share them with children, nieces and nephews and grandchildren because you love THEM.  I never once hear any of Grandpa Woolley's stories from him directly.  But he gave us four copies of his genealogy book.  And they are still sitting in the "safe place" I first put them when they were given to us. 

Thinking of that made me sad for GG, and our kids.  Maybe they won't ever come to know their family history from their Dad's side.  And GG won't know his own history either.  I guess I have more work to do there.