These church doors transport me to another world, long long ago ...
It was in this very church that my great great great grandparents, Ann Aust and William Williams married. Their union way back in 1838 eventually resulted in my birth. As I look at the register I see they couldn't write - signing their names with only 'X'. They were uneducated masons working in the quarries of Bath; part of the poor masses working for the rich socialite class.
I reflected upon the miracle of my life. I wondered how Nanna Ann and Pop William would feel if they knew, that their great-great-granddaughter could not only read and write, but she had the means to travel over 10,000 miles across oceans to visit the beautiful city they helped build. I felt their presence and a surreal awareness of the preciousness of my life. Had they not married in that church, on that day, it's likely I wouldn't have stood there, in that same place, that day. I imagined everything that had taken place to bring me there. Their story was magnificently threaded into my own. I felt a deep sense of gratitude for them and my life.
Sometimes it can be difficult to look into our past. And there are times when we must leave the past in the past and let go. But we can also draw power from the stories of our past. Imagine your ancestors, go back as far as you can and consider what they endured to bring you here today... Famine, wars, plagues, slavery, disasters, abuse, poverty, sickness, shipwrecks, racism, injustice, abandonment, hardship or more?
No matter where you are standing today, no matter if you haven't yet achieved everything you hoped, no matter what struggle you're facing right now; the strength of your ancestors carried you here. Draw strength and hope knowing how amazing you are for being born and standing where you are today. Draw inspiration from their journey and never give up on your own.
[…] Our past stories: not just our own, but the past stories of our relatives and our ancestors can influence us in an inspiring, wonderful way. Watch this video to start discovering new possibilities for your life in your past stories. […]
I believe that all our abilities, talents and strengths come from our parents and ancestors. It is amazing to see that a great grandmother painted plates and my brothers are artists. My uncle was a writer and I write, my daughter is a chef as was the grandfather she never knew. In my mother’s 8th grade yearbook, it said that she wanted to be a journalist. While she never wrote, I feel that I am helping fulfill her untapped potential. One glance over our shoulder and there they are, generations of talent, strength and abilities ours to claim.
Wow! This is amazing! I love finding places with rich history such as this one. It really enlightens me to learn about what happened before us.
So inspiring to be reminded of this! I am returning to my homeland in May 2022 (hope I can by that time) and plan to revisit my hometown!
Beautiful story. It is always AMAZING learning new information about where we came from.
The past is a reminder of where we are coming from. The present is where we apply the knowledge and lessons we’ve learnt from the past. And I agree, we are miracles! Nice read.
I love this! It is so true! I reflect often on my great and great-great-grandparents. But I never really took a deeper look and thought about if they could only see the things we can do today. Very inspiring! Thank you for sharing your story!
Wow, this is super cool post. I started researching my own family and got as far as born 1808 … insane