Looking into the Past

With researching my hubby's ancestors, as well as mine, it can feel a little eerie sometimes reading about these other people's lives that somehow merged into becoming part of ours; these people that I've never known and have such different lifestyles and upbringings from mine have helped shaped who I am today. It seems like a huge effort on their part to have worked hard, suffered and enjoyed the events of their lives so that I could be a part of this world as well. It does put a larger perspective on things and make me realize that it's not just about me, never has been and never will be. I'm a part of the ongoing process of keeping life going, learning and enriching my life to benefit someone down the road, someone perhaps not even born yet. I need to help bring that past to the present and to the future, contribute as much as I can, however I can, to help this process in the best way I can. Learning about the past and present is so very critical to the future, so important for people to know and understand in how they came to be what they are. Looking at Grace's grave the other day, it struck me how much her life means to me, how her efforts gave me my hubby, and consequently my two beautiful kids. I wonder if she ever thought of that, ever thought that what she was doing and the kids she was raising would have such a profound effect on someone like me. Here's to Grace and her wonderful person, who she was and what she did for me.