CLAN

About 2 1/2 years ago, I got an instant message from a cousin, on the Peterson side of the family, that I hadn't heard from or seen in probably close to 40 years.  

Not too long after that, another cousin (same side of the family tree, but different family) connected with me on Facebook.

Over the past couple of years there have been many pictures passed around from these 2 cousins about our PETERSON ancestors.  It's been really cool to "see" people that I only heard about.

Well, this week was special as one of my cousins, Mary (King) Farrar (pictured above in the middle) and her husband Doug were in Omaha.  This was the start of a trip that is going to take her through Nebraska to stops where she was born and grew up to also going by our family's home in Geneva, Nebraska (it's where our grandfather grew up with his 8 other siblings).  Mary and Doug live in Florida and this is the first time she's been in Nebraska since 1983.

Mary and I haven't been in the same location for over 40 years.  As we met for dinner, we had such a great time talking about family, our parents, how our lives took many turns to get to where we are at today.  

Your family....your CLAN...your people...are so important as they help to shape who you are. Whether you have spent time with them over the years or not, they are still your family and you share history together.

I'm so thankful for Mary and our other cousin, Jane, reaching out to connect.  For sharing pictures of my CLAN that I had never seen (Mary even had more "new" ones to show me when we had dinner) or pictures of people I knew but these were of them decades before I was born.  

As I get older, it's so good to discover more of my roots and understand more of the legacy that has been passed down to me and others in my family.  It's so easy to get caught up in "today" that we miss out on our "yesterdays" and the stories that go with the years.

I want to encourage you that if you are on this BEST YEAR YET journey with me and others, include YOUR family....your CLAN, in it.  Maybe they are all gone....or maybe there isn't much of a connection anymore.  Reach out and start a dialog....who knows, maybe you'll discover more about yourself and those that make up your CLAN.