I Can't Help But Wonder

 

As the final hours of 2022 flow by, I feel my ancestors around me and I can’t help but wonder why.

Over the last year, a series of events, conversations and fragments of information have found their way into my day-to-day life that keeps leading me back to the topic of ancestors.

When combined, my parent’s lineage makes me a Heinz 57 of cultures, a mutt so to speak. Resulting in the best and worst of many worlds all encased in my own personal unique vessel of tissue, blood and bone.

Recently I read an article that said, and I’m paraphrasing, just the fact we exist proves our ancestors were strong, hardy survivors because they lived through the black plague, influenza, small pox, measles, tuberculosis and countless other illnesses that wiped out a huge percentage of the world’s population.

I exist today because someone I share DNA with survived. For some reason, they endured an event that many others could not. Knowingly, or not, they walked through the valley of the shadow of death and just kept walking.

Because of that, here I am.

Rather daunting isn’t it?

Centuries of a million choices, made by thousands of people, resulted in Me.

The Power of Me, the Power of You, is a gift beyond any earthly measure that deserves some thoughtful reflection on this last day of the year 2022.

And I wonder which of my ancestors had a restless Spirit that lies so deeply within my bones that they speak to me in my dreams? Urging me, always urging me, to explore beyond the next mountain, and sometimes, in the lucky dreams, they even give me wings.

I just can’t help but wonder…….