Wednesday, May 8, 2013

And Then It Was Two


At first, it was one—yet a task seemingly as epic as that one revolution racing through the bleak emptiness of space to encircle the sun. Day by day, stretching to reach that goal. One day: one post.

Simple. Three hundred sixty five times simple.

NYC 1945 Patsy Davis
It started in May. The month for remembering mothers. I started out with those good intentions. I wanted to remember my mother, growing up in a family moving from city to city seeking employment wherever, whenever, just so the kids could be fed—but not in a soup line!—during those destitute years of the Great Depression. Coming of age in an amalgamation of the sounds of the Big Band era and the sights of pre-World War II tensions. A woman who followed her dream and left her Midwest hometown for an acting career before those bright lights of New York City.

Ruth Broyles McClellan Davis
I wanted, too, to remember my maternal grandmother—she of the old southern heritage, who could tell of roots reaching beyond the advent of statehood in Florida, before the genesis of nationhood in the Carolinas and even Virginia. I knew compiling documentation of her family’s history would yield me entrance into the historic company of lineage societies, but I wanted to take this journey to provide documentation for my own edification, also.

Sophie McCann NYC
Then, too, there were the mothers whose stories lacked verification—some shrouded in outright mystery. I wanted to pursue my paternal grandmother’s stories—where she came from and who she left behind. Her heritage—as far as I know to this point—is a short trail from the mid 1950s back to a brick wall standing stubbornly immovable only sixty, maybe seventy, years prior.

From there, the trail led—seemingly—everywhere. There were the stories of my husband’s indomitable grandmother—granddaughter, herself, of an Irish immigrant grandmother with a mystery of her own to pursue. From mother to daughter to sons, their wives, their cousins, their distant kin—one story at a time, the strands of family wove themselves together. Stretching the connection at times, and at other times, nearly disappearing into the warp and woof of their surroundings, the stories kept coming, day after day.

And then, as incredible as it might have seemed at the beginning, it wasn’t one anymore.

Now—today—it is two.

20 comments:

  1. Happy Blogiversary! I love the way you write. Here's to many more years of blogging!

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    1. Thank you, Andrea! And many more, indeed. There are so many more stories to be told and passed down.

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  2. Andrea's right, Jacqi. You are an amazing storyteller. Reading your posts when I wake up every morning has become a favorite part of my day.

    Happy Blogiversary - ad multos annos!

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    1. Linda, thank you so much. Glad to know these stories have become a part of your morning routine!

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  3. Happy Blogiversary Jacqi! Andrea and Linda are both right--you are an amazing storyteller. I love the titles you come up with for your blogs and the stories are amazing.

    Regards, Grant

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    1. Grant, that's a fun thought: the titles. Thanks for that detail :)

      You are working on some amazing stories, yourself, as are Andrea and Linda. We all have stories that need to be shared!

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  4. Happy Blogiversary!! I am surprised its been two years already!!

    You've really uncovered a diverse lot of wonderful "moms" in your "journey" through the family tree... From Southern Belle to Chicago Urbane, to California Brash and the entire collection has been so pleasant to get to "know" - even with the ones that haven't much "story," you've found enough thread to weave enough of their life tale to keep them living in memory - which is really a special Mother's Day gift that you give them all.

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    1. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? ;)

      Yes, they are all a diverse lot of moms--quite a collection of memories. Sometimes I wonder why some of them saved the things they saved...and sometimes I wish some of them saved something--anything at all--so I could have it to pass along. I guess that is part of what goes into the tantalizing aspect of The Search.

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  5. I echo all the above! Happy Blogiversary! And many more!

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your wishes, Kathy!

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  6. A splendid paean to Mother's Day, on behalf of your mother, your grandmothers, and the grandmothers in your husband's line. Strong women, all, and a delight to read about. Each one strong and persistent in a different way.

    Your strength and persistence echo theirs. So you extend them. I don't know how you achieve one blog a day for a year, and I'm only just now realizing your accomplishment, because I haven't been "counting" day by day. But that's truly remarkable.

    Congratulations on Blogiversary #!! And Happy Mother's Day!

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    1. That is such a powerful thought, Mariann: that through the stories we tell about the women in our past, we extend them. We bring them along into our future; along with us, we let them shape that future.

      Happy Mother's Day to you, too, Mariann. I truly appreciate all your encouragement!

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  7. Happy blogiversary! I echo the other sentiments - you have a wonderful storytelling ability and I look forward to reading your posts. And posting every day is an amazing feat! On to three.......

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    1. Yes, Debi, on to three! Here's hoping, at least...

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  8. You go girl! You have unearthed some wonderful information..it has been enjoyable to read. Happy Blogiversary! :)

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    1. Thank you, my mentor and encourager! I appreciate that!

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  9. Happy blogiversary, Jacqi! What a remarkable legacy you're weaving with your daily posts. And what a wonderful tribute to the mothers in your line, and in all of our lives. Keep up the good work! I look forward to reading more as your third year unfolds!

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    1. Good point, Shelley: the mothers in all of our lives. If genealogy math means the number of ancestors doubles for each succeeding generation we reach as we work our way back in time, then that's a lot of mothers to talk about!

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  10. We all raise a glass of good cheer! The blogisphere is a better place with you in it. On to #3!

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