I met a first cousin once removed (yes, I had to look it up) online last week. She's an uncle-I've-never-met's granddaughter. She seems very nice. I'm glad I could help as she explored her family tree...a family tree that is connected to mine.Talking to her brings me back to the question I've asked over and over again in my books...what is family?
I've explored many incarnations of adoptive family and friends-as-family in my Hometown Hearts series. I explored a mother who gave a daughter up for adoption and then that daughter's return home in Carry Her Heart and Hold Her Heart. I've... I just keep exploring family over and over and in the end I keep coming up with one answer—one basic truth. Family is about love.
For me there are two types of family. Little f family and Big F Family.
My family tree represents little f family. People who share a genetic connection to me. We share DNA. I'm so enjoying this exploration. I'm related to a founder of Brown University. I have branches that are firmly rooted in pre-Revolution New England, and other branches equally rooted in pre-Revolution southern colonies. I come from Appalachian folks. I come from Mennonites, Protestants and Catholics...and I'm sure there were other beliefs mixed in. I come from England, Germany and Ireland. I come from huge family branches and small ones. I've found my grandmother's birth parents and confirmed my suspicions with DNA. Part of my family were homesteaders on a plot of land just down the road from our cottage. Truly, I can get lost in exploring these branches.
And yet, all these names and fascinating stories I've discovered aren't big F Family. I wouldn't call them up to bail me out of jail (it's never happened but who knows? LOL) or call them with exciting news. I wouldn't share my woes and glee with them. Those are things I share with...Family.
I think the world's current crisis has a lot of people thinking about family...about what it means to be Family. I'm sure my definition might not be everyone's. But that foundation of love...it should be part of everyone's definition. I've said before that I truly believe every obstacle brings a gift. We all are in the midst of a huge crisis...but maybe that means it will have an even bigger gift. Maybe we'll all look around and discover just who is Family and how much they mean to us.
Family. I've built my life around mine and to be honest, I've built a career around it.
Stay in, stay safe. And pick up a book!!
Holly
OUT NOW: Crib Notes
Out Now: A Special Kind of Different
The rest of the Hometown Hearts series will be coming soon.
Suddenly a Father will be out in September of 2020 and
Something Borrowed, Something Blue and Something Perfect in 2021!
I've learned fascinating things about my ancestry, too, not always uplifting things, but things I wanted to know nonetheless. Through DNA testing I found a half 4th cousin once removed (or half 4C1R in genealogy shorthand), whose 3rd great grandfather was the half brother of my second great grandfather. I've also seen the truth of how we're all connected, since I have literally thousands and thousands of cousins, including some living in New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteJV,
DeleteThat's fascinating! I do love this stuff. I love finding more family...and cherishing the Family I have! And cool about the New Zealand branch! I love that I found out a branch of the family homesteaded so close to our camp. I've driven by the property so many times. Now I always think of them.