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A Rose for Sharon

    For many years now, I have posted the single pink rose image to my social media on August 19th and June 4th. Those who know me well know it is in honor of my little sister, Sharon, who died in 1994. Her birth date and her death date. That has been the extent of my communication about my sister or her life since. Thirty-two years is a long time to hold onto words. I have considered writing about her. It doesn't matter how deep my feelings are for her or how much I cherish her memory, the words don't come easily, if at all. Words feel cheap and wrong. It's hard to even describe why. Maybe it is because she was our family's: Our sister, our cousin, our niece, our daughter. We knew her best, so no one else should have the right to know about her like we did. Maybe that's why I hold onto my words. But I realize that if I don't tell her story, who will?  I have spent hour upon hour researching my long-gone ancestors, yet I haven't written about my own sister. ...
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BEGINNINGS

Sunrise, 28 Dec. 2020. Photo by N Gilbride Casey


By Nancy Gilbride Casey

I must admit, I do like turning the page on a new year. Everything seems fresh to me, and the possibilities are enticing. It doesn't hurt that I'm writing this with sunshine streaming through my window, which always puts me in a positive frame of mind.

"Beginnings" is the first theme of the 2021 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge by blogger/podcaster Amy Johnson Crow. I participated in this challenge last year for a bit, but in the midst of the pandemic, my writing fell by the wayside. Weightier thoughts occupied my mind: 

"Will my family stay safe?" 

"How do I go back to work with all those kids?" (I work at a high school.) 

"What happens if one of us gets sick with COVID?" 

I am certain I am not alone in this; many of my genealogy writing pals suffered the same fate, and just getting though the day-to-day of life was an accomplishment in itself on any given day.

That's why a little challenge I saw on Facebook so appealed to me to start off the New Year: 

Post on social media one document, photograph, heirloom, etc., for each day of January, following the various suggested themes—a birth record, a death record, a treasured heirloom, etc. 

Perfect! This I can do. 

Writing a post on social media feels a lot less stressful than writing a blog post for some reason. Most posts are meant to be brief, usually just a paragraph or two. I have so much research, so many photos, documents, etc., which I've accumulated through researching family history, this is the perfect way to get back into the swing of things, without breaking too much of a sweat.

So far, I've chosen and written about the first 4 items, and have ideas for several others...so far so good. Some posts have even generated some discussion, a delightful development.

Coincidentally, the first theme was the ultimate "beginning," a birth record. I chose the birth/baptismal record of my great grandmother Anna Tatar Simonik, born in 1883 in Slovakia. In case you're not on Facebook, I will also be adding these posts to this blog.

As in 2020, I believe any accomplishment in 2021—big or small—is important. 

So, here's to beginnings, yours and mine. All the best to you and yours in the New Year.

Until next time...

 

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