Know Your Roots

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of celebrating the legacy of my grandparents with my cousins. Last week, my grandparents would have been turned 100 years old and in honor of their legacy, we created a documentary spotlighting each of them. It was a wonderful experience; I was able to learn so much about them through the stories of others. Why was that so big for me you ask? Because I never got a chance to meet my grandparents, any of them, not on my mother’s side or my father’s side. All were deceased by the time I was born, so for me all I have are the stories of others.

This weekend reminded of the importance of knowing your roots. Knowing your roots help you to understand more about yourself and where some of your attributes come from. It was so rewarding to know I have many of the attributes of my grandfather and grandmother. Another thing this weekend reminded me of is continuing the legacy of those that came before me. My grandfather was big on family, one of the things he taught his children was, “find your family.” No matter where you go, find and connect with family. In my family, it doesn’t matter if you’re a distant cousin or closer cousin; you‘re family and we treat you all the same.

Things to ponder: what legacy did your grandparents leave for you to carry on? How will you honor that legacy? Do you know your roots?