Ellis Island: A Thin Place

The following video is such a great inside look at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty that I wanted to share it with you. I felt the same way the visitors interviewed here felt--in awe. Everyone I've spoken to who has visited Ellis Island says the same thing. You get a feeling of appreciation, wonder, and respect. You might even sense the same thing by watching videos like this.

Seeing this caused me to contemplate the concept referred to as "a thin place" in Ireland. There are certain places where you can feel God's presence more than others. Many times these are settings in nature, but not always. Perhaps some places--because they are places of historical significance, because the people who came before us experienced something incredible there--hold a remainder of those experiences that we can still sense today. I've heard people say that about Gettysburg, for example. There are cathedrals and places of worship that exude emotion even when empty. Sometimes graveyards are the same way, and I have to wonder if it's because so many people have been there experiencing grief that still lies heavy on the place when they've gone away. In Annie's Stories there is a brief description of Annie wondering the same thing.

Thin places are often referred to in Celtic spirituality, but I believe it is a common experience with people all over the world where in certain locations, whether we seek them out or stumble upon them, the separation between heaven and earth is particularly thin.

What do you think? Is Ellis Island one of those places?

Fighting to Be Remembered

As Independence Day in America approaches, I think about my personal family history, and how the names in my family tree helped build America. If genealogy is not your thing, you are probably missing the satisfaction of realizing how connected you are to those who built this country.

My Valley Forge Connection

For example, my husband has relatives who endured the conditions at Valley Forge, and if you know history, you know that even though no battles were fought there, the sheer determination of General George Washington and his troops just to survive and keep an army together set the stage of what was truly a miraculous revolution. Had my husband's ancestor not survived--and he was in his 60s at the time!--my husband would not be here, and neither would my children.

And if I hadn't researched that line I would not have found one of my favorite stories! William Thomson was court martial-ed for swearing at his superior officer, a man likely three decades younger than him. General Washington pardoned Thomson, saying he'd had good cause for his actions.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

But seriously, there are numerous examples of the sacrifices our ancestors made so that we might enjoy our freedoms in America. I think it's safe to say not one American reading this post has not had a relative who died fighting for our freedom in a war. Sadly, there have been wars in every generation. Don't those soldiers deserve to be remembered? To have their stories and the facts surrounding their lives recorded?

Other Heroes

And even those who did not fight in a war, fought for survival, overcoming poverty, lack of education, poor English language skills, few resources other than a will to work hard and prosper. These things that drove our ancestors to build their places in American society are the kinds of stories I like to tell in my fiction.

What are the stories you've found of your ancestors' sacrifices?

8 Reasons to Care About Your Family History

Let's face it. Some people just don't care about tracing their roots. They're more focused on today, just trying to get by, and some have enough trouble connecting with living relatives. Who needs all those names and dates?

But they should care, and here are some reasons why:

1. You should know where you're headed. 

Learning about those who came before you might just teach you where your future weakness might be and maybe, just maybe you can avoid some pitfalls. It might seem like a reach, but lots of traits, characteristics, and even illnesses are genetic. Once you understand that, you can work toward avoiding the mistakes your ancestors made.

2. You might find out you have a famous relative. 

Being family, even far removed, might connect you to all kinds of gatherings and events you would have otherwise missed. Of course I'm thinking of baseball, but there are other possibilities. Who knows until you start digging? But even if you don't have a celebrity relative to lay claim to, you might have an ancestor who was a military hero. You could become a member of the DAR or SAR.

3. You might find lost cousins. 

Well, you likely will. When you look at the number of ancestors you have as the family lines branch out, there are certainly others out there researching the same lines. Not only can you share research and learn more, you might just make a friend!

4. You might dig up a story about an ancestor that will make juicy dinner conversation. 

I discovered one of my husband's ancestors was at Valley Forge. He was an older man, about 60, and was court martialed for swearing at his superior officer. He was pardoned by General George Washington, who ruled that the man had had just cause for his actions. My father used to tell me, "Stop researching when you find the horse thief in my family." To date I haven't found one...in his family. My mother's? Well...

5. You may find a family treasure no one knew existed. 

That treasure could be priceless, but if it's not something you can take to the bank, it might be of extreme sentimental value or worthy of study to social historians. For instance, my husband found researchers continually referring to a family history written by a distant cousin in 1880. He found that the Ohio State Library had that hand written journal in its collection. When he went to see it he discovered it was not a copy, but the actual original. That was somewhat surprising because until then he hadn't known any of his family lived in Ohio in 1880. Not only that, but the original had much more in it than what had been quoted by others. There is even a story told by a man who was a chaplain in the Civil War and witnessed much of Sherman's march in the South. Eyewitness testimony that doesn't appear anywhere else!

6. You might connect with a cultural heritage you hadn't known existed before. 

When I traced my father's line I came up with surnames he had never heard before. And those he knew, like his mother's parents, he had thought were Irish, but they were actually Welsh. Recently I've discovered another line that appears to have come to Ohio via Massachusetts and Nantucket. I'm thinking a research trip is in order!

7. Some things might begin to make more sense when you see how traits or occupations or favorite hobbies and pastimes are repeated. 

There really is meaning behind the old adage of something being "in your blood." My mother has always loved baseball. There are two professional players in her family line. I recently saw a picture of my great great grandmother and realized our family has been short in stature for some time. There are other less pleasant things you might learn, but they're still important to realize how they've been passed down, such as alcoholism, weight gain, and other ailments.

Photo by  Tom Gill

8. Perhaps only those who do begin to trace their roots can grasp it, but you will begin to feel that you belong, that there is a place for you, that you have a legacy to continue. 

How many family members died in wars so that future generations can live in freedom? How many risked everything to come to a land where their children and children's children can find work and prosperity? How many struggled to teach principles, values, and spiritual beliefs so that those who come after can have a foundation to prosper from? Once you realize the torch has been passed you to, it's a game changer and you know many more will come after you and you want to leave them something as well.

Not every motivation to dig into genealogy is noble and romantic. It's fun to discover new things. And I hope the skeptics out there who read this will realize it's certainly not just about names and dates!