My grandparents turn 88 this year. It’s amazing that I still have both of them in my life. Given their age and all this free time I’ve had on account of the pandemic, I’ve decided to pursue a goal of mine – tracing my family lineage back to our roots. I have a few goals in mind. First, I want to trace my ancestors back to before they migrated to America. It’s unclear if we’re English or Irish. I’m assuming we come from England. I also want to chronicle and make videos of my progress. I’m hoping to accomplish all of this in time to show my grandparents.
I’ve been at their house twice a week for the last couple of months, bringing them food, cleaning, and visiting. I’m so grateful they saved so many items from their youth. The entire house is a treasure trove of trinkets, letters, pictures, and antiques. I, myself, am a lover of antiques and all things old and nostalgic. They feel burdensome by my care, but it’s an honor for me to be there for them, and I never tire of hearing all the old stories and going through all the old pictures.
Sadly, neither of them see well enough to be able to identify people in the old black and white photos. I have a great great aunt who just celebrated her 90th birthday who may be able to help me identify some of these people, but I don’t want to put her at risk. I wish I had valued my elderly family members years ago, but life moves so fast. It’s hard to convince young people to invest in the elderly.
So far in my ancestry quest, I’ve traced back several generations, thanks in part to other members of ancestry.com who just happen to share the same family members. I’m curious about these long lost relatives, and I’m hoping to get in touch. I decided to go ahead and do the DNA test. I’m eager to get my results!
I can’t wait to see what I uncover in my family history. I’m so grateful to still have my grandparents around to share all the stories of their upbringing and the relatives I never got to meet. Let’s see how far back I can trace my family. The adventure begins!