I had this passage sent to me by another searcher who in turn had it sent to her by another relation. I feel it is very appropriate to those doing family search. Enjoy it.

Subject: The Chosen

We are the chosen. In each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them breathe life again. To tell the family story and to feel that some how they know and approve. The doing of genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts, but instead, is breathing life into all who have gone before.

We are the storytellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called to this activity by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us "Tell our story" so we do. And in finding them we somehow find ourselves.

It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who I am and why I do the things I do. It goes to pride in what my ancestors were able to accomplish and how they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to a deeper understanding of what they did for us as a nation. It goes to deep pride that the fathers fought and some died to make and keep us nation. We have equal pride and love that our mothers struggled to give the families birth and to nurture them. Without them we would not exist. And so we love each one as far back as we can reach.

With love and caring we describe each fact of their existence because we are the sum and consequence of who they all were. So as a scribe called, I tell the story of my forebears. It is for the called in the next generation to carry the link and take my place in this long line of storytellers.

submitted by Agnes