I am more than me... discovering my past

 My great grandma and grandpa's graves.

 

 My great, great, great grandpa's grave.

(My cousin and uncle also in the picture)

 



 Grandma and grandpa's grave.



 The view from the cemetery.

 

 

I took a trip up to northern Idaho this weekend. The Blewett side of my family was having a big family reunion and my dad asked if I would go represent our family. It's been 25 years since I have been up to this part of the country. I didn't grow up seeing my grandparents or my cousins so needless to say, I never really knew much about the Blewetts.

I arrived Friday night just in time for dinner with the clan. My grandpa Pierce Blewett was one of 14 brothers and sisters, so the number of cousins gathered together for dinner seemed countless. As I sat down at the table with my uncle and other cousins that I had never met before, one older man leaned over and said, "You look a lot like your dad... but I also see so much of your grandpa in you... you remind me of Pierce." I looked the old man straight in the face and smiled as I held back the tears and said, "Thank you. I would love to learn as much as I can about my grandpa." I never really knew my grandpa. He died shortly after I was born, but in that moment I realized that I am made up of so much more than myself. The old man continued on, "Well, Pierce was really good with youth. He had a way of talking to youth... growing up I looked up to him a lot." I smiled again and thought, perhaps I have more of Pierce in me than I ever could have known.

The rest of the weekend I heard plenty of stories about how the Blewetts settled into the Lewiston/Culdesac area. I got to visit the gravesites of my grandparents, great grandparents, and great, great, great grandfather and I got to see the land that they called home. Beautiful country!

As I drove home, I reflected back on the quick 24 hours and I think the thing that I was most reminded of on this trip is that I am made up of so much more than myself. I am a little bit of each of my family...

 

I am

a teacher,

good with youth,

a believer in Jesus,

stubborn,

light hearted,

adventurous,

and a hard worker

because it is in my blood;

passed down from generation to generation.

I am not just Sheila.

I am a little Pat, Jana, Dick, Janette, Pierce, Grace, John, Lilly May and it continues on...

I am not just me and the older I get, the more I appreciate that.

 

In the last few weeks I have learned so much about my family (the good and bad) and have been blessed to have some quality time with family... so the question that lingers in my mind and heart is this.... what does family mean to you?