Families Are Not Just About Blood Anymore...

This photo is of my mother (on the right) and her twin brother. I know this because my mother told me, not because it was written anywhere on the back or front of the photo.

I think about this every time I go to Cracker Barrel and see all the old photos hanging on the walls there. Those photos are probably ones that have ended up on those walls because someone went through Grandma's attic and couldn't figure out who they were!

I love looking through old pictures of relatives and I have to admit that I have some pictures that there is not a clue as to who the people are. I know they must be relatives, otherwise they wouldn't be in my possession. Someone has passed these on to me.

Then there are the boxes of MY pictures. Sure, I know who these people are NOW, but will I in another 20 years? Will my grandchildren going through these photos someday have any clue? Do I put names and dates on my photos? Of course not!

The other problem I have is that the definition of family has changed so much in the last few decades. I have grandchildren who have had several sets of grandparents and step-grandparents already. There is a step-grandson who has been adopted by his step-father so even though he is a "blood" relative, he doesn't have the same last name. And what about his half-brother? Does that make him a grandchild or not? Of course it does! What child doesn't need another set of grandparents!

I have decided that I need to sit down and write down my entire family history, complete with photos, so that my children, grandchildren, and future generations will know their ancestry. If I don't write it down, it may be lost forever.

First I have to find the time, then I have to figure out how in the world I will ever adequately explain my Aunt Dee Dee....