graveyards and the D.A.R.

Today I heard my brother tell me briefly about his most recent trip to Louisiana. Let's stop right here and get everyone on the same page. 1. My brother: Stuart, he's great and you should all meet him. I feel like if I ever happen to say anything remotely funny or sarcastic then I probably learned it from him. Smart, amazingly witty, the best trivial pursuit player I know, and all around good guy. 2. My family is from Louisiana. Both sides. My mom's side is more central Louisiana and my dad's is up north. Now...back to my brother's trip...

As long as I can remember my dad has been fascinated with family heritage and lineage and stuff like that. Considering that my dad and brother have what I feel like is all the same interests my brother has recently become interested in our family background. A few months ago he was going down to visit our grandparents. On his way he stopped at this graveyard where our great grandparents, great great grandparents, and some others were burried. He began to tell me that he this "moment" of standing there seeing all this...Is it odd for me to say that he was excited? Because he definately was. My grandmother ended up taking him to some other graveyards where other family members were burried while he was staying with them. This past visit however he said he stopped at 7 different locations where our ancestors were burried while he was with my mom's parents and then when he went up to my dad's parents he and my aunt went to 12 different places in north Louisiana. I asked him if I should feel bad that I wasn't as excited about all of this and he was. My brother doesn't spend time on anything he doesn't think is important so for him to dedicate all this time documenting, researching, traveling, etc. I knew it was a big deal. He said I shouldn't feel bad, most people our age aren't interested in this stuff.

It made me think about family and family history and my ancestors. Come to find out I can be a member of the D.A.R....who knew? Apparently you have to have really accurate documentation to prove that you really are a Daughter of an American Revolution Solider and Stuart said they found of picture of one of my relatives with a D.A.R. certificate and it wouldn't be hard to trace me back to her. SWEET!!!! Anyway.....I don't think I will ever be all that interested in my family tree and who is connected to who and where everyone is burried like my brother, but I don't think that means I don't care about them...right? I hope not. I do care about my family. They are wonderful people. I think it's interesting how we each show our appreciation, love, and loyalty to our families differently. I would rather make everyone in my family a card, a personal card, and give it to them with a treat or flowers or something. That's how I would show I care. My brother would rather visit gravesites with my grandparents and learn about who is burried where and why and such. I think both are great. I think families are interesting. Everyone's is different yet we all have the crazy cousin, or the side of the family we don't talk to as much, or the aunt that moved away, and it goes on and on.

all this to say....I encourage you to appreciate your family, however that looks to you. After all...they are family.