Monday Greetings

We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. 

Shirley Abbott

Good morning everyone....and a gloomy one it is. The skies are gray and preparing for two days of rain. I'll be doing indoor stuff for sure. By the end of the week it's really going to warm up, they say, and maybe I'll try for a day in the park. As for today, just planning on doing some work on my laptop, trying out a new recipe, perhaps a little reading, and spending some time on my online poetry class. No one can say I am not determined.  

I have some awesome news.  Was working on my genealogy book this weekend, and decided to try googling an estranged cousin to see if I could find him.  He was the son of my mom's brother.  I have pictures of his mom and dad holding me as a baby and vaguely remember his parents visiting my grandparents while I was there, but have no memory of him or his brother.  I also have no memory of visiting their home or theirs visiting hours.  At first I just thought it was poor memory on my part, but then I went through my picture album again and no pictures of them beyond my babyhood.  And then, upon talking to my cousins wife, I discovered that it wasn't my memory.  It was true.  According to her, "The family was very secretive and one day she will tell me all."  Maybe we will finally find out what made mom tick.  It seems now that she not only alienated dad's family, but also her own.

On another note, several months ago I found a childhood friend via classmates and Facebook.  Yesterday she messaged me that she had heard from another of our childhood friends and that she would love to hear from me.  She has no computer but left her address should I decide to write.  Of course I will.

It's hard to describe how I am feeling.  A little over a year ago I had felt so alone.  I wasn't, of course, but when one is missing so much of their past, one begins to lose perspective on who they are.  I  feel now as if I am finally getting some closure.  I am finally learning what makes me tick.  And I am overjoyed.  In such a short time and with much thanks to Facebook, I have found a cousin and aunt on my paternal side, a cousin on my maternal side, two other cousins on my mom's side that I messaged yesterday, a nephew, two close childhood friends, and I've gotten my children back into my life.  How can one not rejoice? My angels have definitely been watching out for me.  Speaking of angels, my two newest....

And because I couldn't find a statue of Brighid who I adore, I got this.  

Have a good one.