Forgotten Legacies
At some time during our lives, most of us will dream of achieving fame; almost all will fall short. But, for better or worse, we all leave a legacy for those who follow. Time erodes the knowledge of this legacy, but still it lives on in the descendants of those we touch—our stories disappear but the fractals remain as part of an infinite mosaic. Just as the archeologist recreates past cultures from skeletal fragments and pottery shards, so the genealogist recreates ancestors’ stories, from a chance sighting here, a glimpse of shadow there, chasing echoes down the corridors of time, tracking footprints across continents and oceans, until enough flesh is added to the bones. Yes, we can see them if we try! They cry out to us from the mists: “Find me. Tell my story. I was once important to someone.” The genealogist hears these cries and must answer. We really have no choice in the matter—you see, we are obsessed.
